The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued an urgent appeal on Thursday to respect and protect civilians in Gaza, including the wounded and sick, stressing that the destruction will not bring the region closer to peace or stability but will only increase the scale of human suffering.
A statement by the committee quoted the head of its mission in Israel and the occupied territories, Julian Leirisson, as saying: "The humanitarian situation in Gaza has exceeded the scale of a catastrophe, and the people of the Strip are struggling daily for survival." He stressed that "the humanitarian needs in Gaza are enormous, and 100 trucks of humanitarian aid per day are not enough."
He added, "Constant care must be taken to spare civilians the effects of military operations. This is not just an obligation under international humanitarian law, but a moral imperative."
He continued, "The scale of destruction we are witnessing now in Gaza will not bring us closer to peace or stability, but will rather increase the suffering."
Leirson stressed that partial solutions cannot address a crisis of the magnitude of the one unfolding in the Gaza Strip, and called for allowing the rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and clean water, to all those in need, wherever they may be.
The statement added: "The ICRC is capable of providing effective and meaningful support and helping alleviate the suffering. The humanitarian support mechanism in place for months has proven its effectiveness when allowed to operate. It is essential that it be allowed to resume its work at full capacity."
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Red Cross: The humanitarian situation in Gaza has exceeded the scale of a catastrophe.