Medical NGO calls for Swiss intervention in Gaza
The head of the humanitarian group Médicins sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) has appealed to Switzerland, as a "defender of international human rights”, to remind governments that rules apply even in war – particularly in the Middle East.
The NGO does not want to point the finger at specific governments, said Christos Christou in an interview with CH Media published on Friday. The organisation sent letters to many countries, including Switzerland. “We challenge them all to do their best,” Christou said.
+ Timeline: Switzerland and conflict in the Middle East
He found clearer words for the United Nations Security Council, of which Switzerland is currently a member: The UN Security Council should reconsider its position and put pressure on Israel “to stop the deadly attacks on the Palestinian civilian population,” said Christou.
The Security Council must draw up a binding resolution. Doctors Without Borders demands that all parties respect the rules of war and adhere to international human rights, said Christou when asked about the Islamist Hamas.
The organisation itself lost three employees in bomb attacks, Christou said on Thursday at a media conference in Geneva. There he also warned of diseases that would add to the victims in the Gaza Strip. He also called for more medical evacuations.
Personally, Christou has stopped being optimistic about the state of the world. The situation in Gaza goes far beyond a humanitarian crisis. “It’s a humanitarian disaster,” said Christou, who recently returned from Israel.
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