New York, SANA- President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric, called for urgent collective action by states to end what she described as the “abhorrent suffering” endured by civilians in the Gaza Strip as a result of the months-long war.

In a statement, Spoljaric said that there is no excuse for what is happening in Gaza. The scale of human suffering and the stripping of human dignity have long exceeded every acceptable standard – both legal and moral.

Every minute without a ceasefire risks civilian lives.

The level of suffering inflicted on civilians because of warfare conducted indiscriminately and the extreme deprivation of the essentials for survival is abhorrent, she added.

People are being relentlessly killed in hostilities and while attempting to get food. Children are dying because they do not have enough to eat. Families are being forced to flee again and again in search of safety that does not exist.

The ICRC has more than 350 staff on the ground in Gaza, many of whom are also struggling to find enough food and clean water, Spoljaric indicated, adding: “This tragedy must end now – immediately and decisively. Every political hesitation, every attempt at justification of the horrors being committed under international watch will forever be judged as a collective failure to preserve humanity in war.”

Spoljaric pointed out that states must uphold their obligation under the Geneva Conventions to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law (IHL), including by ensuring that the arms they transfer do not contribute to violations of IHL.

Khadega/Mazen Eyon