HAMAS does not allow the ICRC to visit the hostages it took on October 7. So Israelhas retaliated by barring the ICRC from visiting Palestinian prisoners — in effectturningthem into hostages.

HAMAS does not care much about Israel's Palestinian political prisoners. It is impossibleto pressure HAMAS by being cruel to them. But Israel can gain something by treating itsprisoners decently and showing the world that it is better than HAMAS in this and other ways.

Let's not lose sight ofwhere we want to end up.