Red Cross calls for private, dignified handover of hostages' bodies

The Red Cross on Wednesday called for privacy and dignity ahead of the expected release of hostages' bodies from Gaza under the terms of a ceasefire.

Thursday's handover is expected to include for the first time the bodies of four hostages, including those of two children from the Bibas family and their mother, who have become symbols of the trauma of the October 7 attacks.

"We must be clear: any degrading treatment during release operations is unacceptable," the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement.

The Hamas-directed hostage releases since the January 19 ceasefire have been characterised by large public ceremonies among Gaza's ruins and have come under growing criticism, including from the United Nations, which denounced the "parading of hostages".

The ICRC, a neutral intermediary responsible for releasing hostages and Palestinian prisoners under the terms of the ceasefire, has repeatedly called for improvements.

Some Israeli critics allege it has not done enough to protect the hostages and have mocked its role as a "ride share" service in a social media video. The ICRC has publicly rejected the criticism and said it seeks to ensure hostages are transferred in the best possible conditions.