Photo credit: Reuters.
PALESTINE – The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has told the BBC that Gaza has become “hell on earth”, as Israel’s military assault there continues.
Mirjana Spoljaric’s comments come on the same day the UN human rights office warned that Israel’s tactics were threatening the viability of Palestinians continuing to live in Gaza at all.
The ICRC is the guardian of the Geneva Conventions – internationally agreed rules of conduct in war – and normally only speaks confidentially to warring parties when it thinks violations are taking place.
But Spoljaric has now said publicly that what is happening in Gaza is an “extreme hollowing out” of international law.
Israeli bombardment has killed 1 542 people since it renewed the war on 18 March, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has also issued evacuation orders that have forced nearly 400 000 people to move. Israel has also imposed a complete blockade on the entry of food, medical supplies and all other goods since March 2.
Israel insists it always follows international law in Gaza, and has also argued that the particular nature of this conflict, with Hamas fighters hidden among the civilian population, mean collateral damage can sometimes happen. (BBC)
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