Red Cross makes three urgent appeals to Israel and Hamas
The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called for a cessation of hostilities, the release of hostages and access to Palestinian detainees.
After five months of war between Israel and Hamas, “the situation in the Gaza Strip degenerates by the hour. There is nowhere safe for people to go. The civilian death toll and the ongoing captivity of hostages are shocking and unacceptable”, Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement on Saturday.External link
In the face of this “profound suffering”, the ICRC is making three urgent appeals. The Geneva-based organisation is calling for a “cessation of hostilities” to facilitate the work of humanitarian workers.
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The ICRC is also reiterating its request to be allowed to visit the hostages taken during the Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7, and for them to be released “unconditionally”. Spoljaric also called for their dignity, safety and medical needs to be respected.
Finally, she asked that Palestinian detainees are treated humanely and permitted to communicate with family. The ICRC must be notified of and allowed to visit Palestinians in Israeli detention”.
Civilians caught in the middle
The ICRC president recalled that “as an occupying power, Israel must meet the basic needs of the population or facilitate the safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid”.
Israel is letting in aid lorries from Egypt only very sparingly. According to the UN, of the 2.4 million inhabitants in Gaza, 2.2 million are threatened with famine, with major shortages of food and drinking water.
“A regular and solid flow of humanitarian aid to meet needs is only part of the solution” in Gaza, stressed the ICRC president, who called on the parties to “conduct their military operations in such a way as to spare civilians caught in the middle” and to respect international humanitarian law.
Translated from French by DeepL/ac
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