We the undersigned are turning to you on an urgent humanitarian matter of deep concern to us and to many others.

Hizbullah forces in Lebanon are holding Elchanan Tannenbaum, a 56 year-old Israeli civilian, in captivity. Mr. Tannenbaum was taken hostage shortly after landing in Brussels on October 4th 2000. On January 5th 2003, Hizbullah leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, announced that Elchanan Tannenbaum is alive. Neither the ICRC nor any other international body has been allowed access to Mr. Tannenbaum since his abduction.

Mr. Tannenbaum is seriously ill. He suffers from several dangerous medical conditions including melanoma and severe steroid-dependent asthma. Even an ordinary upper respiratory infection is potentially life threatening unless he receives ongoing medical care and is permitted to maintain the daily regimen of medications prescribed by his physicians including: inhalations of salbutamol and ipratropium bromide, discus seretide, oral theophyllin, and oral prednisone. The malignant melanoma that was removed from his upper back (close to his shoulders) in May 2000, requires proper oncological surveillance due to the risk of recurrence. The policy for surveillance is to perform physical examinations, blood tests and radiological tests at fixed periods of time.

As patrons of Hizbullah, your countries now bear direct legal and moral responsibility for Elchanan Tannenbaum’s well being. You must ensure that he does not become a victim of medical neglect or malpractice while in captivity. As members of the international medical community, we implore you to have Mr. Tannenbaum examined by the ICRC or any other neutral medical authority that is internationally recognized. Your personal and immediate intervention in this case can prevent one more humanitarian tragedy in a region that has seen so much unnecessary death and calamity.