ICRC delegate abducted in Khan Younis – ICRC press release/Non-UN document

Gaza Strip: ICRC delegate abducted in Khan Younis

Geneva (ICRC) – A delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was abducted by unknown armed men at the ICRC office in Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, around 1.30 p.m. local time today.

The delegate, Julien Grosclaude, a Swiss citizen, has been working in the Gaza Strip since May 2005 to provide assistance and protection for the Palestinian population. A team of six expatriate delegates and 28 Palestinian staff work for the ICRC in the Gaza Strip.

The organization has established contacts with the Palestinian authorities with a view to facilitating his safe and speedy release.

Targeting humanitarian workers is totally unacceptable. The ICRC demands Mr Grosclaude's immediate and unconditional release.

For further information, please contact:
Dorothea Krimitsas, ICRC Geneva, tel : +41 22 730 25 90 or +41 79 251 93 18
Iyad Nasr, ICRC Gaza, tel : +972 82828874, mobile +972 59 60 30 15
Maria Del Pilar Vanegas, ICRC Jerusalem, tel : +972 2 582 88 45, mobile +972 57 728 09 91