International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) demands belligerents observe international humanitarian law, warns that hospital generators may fail at any time

SITUATION IN GAZA CHAOTIC, EXTREMELY DANGEROUS – ICRC

GENEVA, Jan 5 (NNN-KUNA) — The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said that the situation in Gaza, since Israel launched its ground offensive on Saturday, has become both chaotic and extremely dangerous. In a statement issued following the invasion, the ICRC said it is difficult to move around and assess the urgent humanitarian needs created by the continued shelling and bombing, and by fighting on the ground. The ground attack has forced a number of people in the north of Gaza Strip to flee their homes. The ICRC added that the fighting is causing damage to hospitals, water supply systems, government buildings, and mosques. A number of water supply lines have been severed during bombardments, making it very difficult for families in certain areas of the Strip to get hold of safe drinking water. The ICRC said that hospitals have to deal with a new influx of wounded people and it is extremely important that they receive new supplies almost every day. Urgent requests for strong painkillers, anaesthetics, body bags, and sheets to wrap dead bodies have been received. Hospitals are now completely dependent on generators for electricity. But, many of these generators are unreliable due to lack of maintenance and because of the Israeli restrictions on the import of spare parts. And since they are running around the clock, some generators may break down at any moment, making it impossible to use life-saving medical equipment. The ICRC called upon both parties to this conflict to fully meet their obligations under the international humanitarian law in order to minimize the number of civilians affected. International humanitarian law prohibits direct attacks on civilians and indiscriminate attacks. The parties to the conflict must at all times distinguish between civilians and combatants, and between civilian objects and military targets. Furthermore, said the ICRC, the choice of means and methods of warfare is not unlimited in the conduct of military operations. The parties must take all feasible precautions to avoid or minimize loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, and damage to civilian objects. Military targets must not be located in or near densely populated areas. International humanitarian law also requires parties to a conflict to pay particular attention to the types of weapons and munitions used and their possible effects on civilians and civilian infrastructure. The ICRC also said that international humanitarian law prohibits the use of indiscriminate weapons which by their nature cannot distinguish between military targets and civilians. “Weapons such as rockets that cannot be directed at military objectives without endangering the civilian population are equally prohibited. The use of cluster munitions in densely populated areas would probably result in violations of international humanitarian law, as they cannot be used in such a way as to adequately distinguish between military objectives on the one hand and protected civilians and civilian property on the other,” said the ICRC statement. The ICRC further said that each party to the conflict must without delay do everything possible to search for, collect, and evacuate the wounded and sick. “Medical personnel, hospitals, and other medical units must be respected and protected, as must medical vehicles, such as ambulances, exclusively assigned to helping the wounded and sick. “Attacks on medical personnel are prohibited, as are attacks on facilities performing exclusively medical tasks,” stressed the statement. – NNN-KUNA