The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has condemned the state of human suffering in Gaza as a result of the escalating conflict between the Israeli military and Hamas fighters.
In a statement released on Saturday, the ICRC called for a de-escalation of the conflict to facilitate humanitarian interventions in the region.
According to the ICRC, the weeks of fighting between Israel and Hamas have trapped over two million civilians in Gaza with no safe place to seek refuge.
The humanitarian organization appealed for the protection and respect of civilian lives from all sides.
The ICRC also emphasized the urgency of restoring critical services such as healthcare, water, and electricity in Gaza as a priority to save lives.
Addtionally, the ICRC stressed the importance of ensuring the safe operations of hospitals in order to preserve humanity.
“I am deeply disturbed by the unbearable level of human suffering and I urge the conflicting parties to de-escalate the situation immediately. The tragic loss of civilian lives is reprehensible. It is unacceptable that amidst the massive bombardments, civilians have no safe haven in Gaza. Furthermore, due to the military blockade, there is currently no sufficient humanitarian response. This is a catastrophic failure that the international community must not tolerate,” stated Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the ICRC.
Recalling that the conflict in Gaza intensifed in early October, resulting in casualties on both sides, the ICRC has called for urgent action to address the dire humanitarian situation.