Where did the "red cross" hospital icon come from?

The International Commission for the Relief of the Wounded and Soldiers, established at Geneva in February 1863, considered that, in view of the peculiarities of battlefield relief work, and in order that the war-wounded might be assisted without distinction, it was necessary to adopt a symbol, in simple form, easily recognizable, easily identifiable, and intelligible to all, to designate the personnel, vehicles, and buildings used for medical treatment and relief activities in time of war; and that the specific provisions for this symbol and its use should be fixed in the form of an international convention, in order to ensure that all parties to the conflict would respect and protect the persons wearing the symbol. and that the specific regulations governing this emblem and its use should be fixed in the form of an international convention, in order to ensure that the parties to the conflict respect and protect the persons who wear it. Thus, at the International Conference of Geneva in October 1863, several members of the Commission proposed a motion to adopt the white armband bearing the Red Cross as a protective emblem for medical personnel. Historical sources, however, do not adequately explain whether the adoption of this emblem was intended to pay homage to the Swiss state (since the movement for the relief of the wounded was born in that country), or because it was inspired by the white flag recognized by the international community as a sign of cease-fire (the addition of a red cross was intended to avoid confusion), or perhaps it was a combination of the two ideas mentioned above. (From: Seeking Medical Help ) Whatever the reason at the time, the countries participating in the first international humanitarian conference agreed to adopt the Red Cross emblem as the protective emblem for all those involved in wartime medical and relief activities, in what would later become known as the Geneva Conventions of August 1864 to improve the situation of wounded military personnel in the land battlefields. The ICRC, and indeed the Red Cross movement as a whole, soon became known as such, generating enormous moral force and legal effect, and gathering all kinds of people under its banner. It is important to note here that the choice of the Red Cross design was quite fortuitous, and that it was not given any religious significance by those who determined that it should be chosen in the first place. As The Principles and Problems of the Red Cross by M. Huber puts it, "Neither Henri Dunant himself, nor his collaborators, nor the States participating in the Geneva Conference intended to give the Red Cross Movement and the Red Cross emblem any religious stamp, or to associate it in any way with a philosophical idea." This is what characterizes the Red Cross Movement.