Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Ramallah, May 22 – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that Gaza is now on the brink of total collapse due to the blockade and systematic Israeli attacks, which have caused more than 53,000 deaths since October 2023.
“We have been warning for weeks about the consequences of reaching this stage,” ICRC spokesperson in Gaza Hisham Muhanna warned in a statement. “We are closely monitoring the mechanism for delivering humanitarian aid to the territory, as announced by the authorities of that country,” he emphasized.
Muhanna warned that the lack of humanitarian aid has exacerbated the crisis, particularly with the resumption and increase in military operations in the coastal enclave, home to more than two million people.
We welcome any effort that can end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, he noted.
However, he added, any provision in this regard must be fully consistent with the humanitarian principles that guarantee non-discrimination between those who deserve it, he said referring to the plan proposed by the United States and Israel.
In this regard, he emphasized that from the beginning of the current cycle of violence, mechanisms existed through which humanitarian actors, including the ICRC, worked to assist Gazans.
As an occupying power, Israel has full responsibility under international humanitarian law to ensure the basic needs of all people in Gaza, he recalled.
"It is unacceptable to politicize humanitarian aid or use it as a form of political or military pressure," he denounced.
The spokesperson noted that since the beginning of the conflict, they have been in contact with both parties to reach an agreement aimed at alleviating the humanitarian crisis there.
He also criticized the high number of civilians killed and injured by the aggression, as well as the massive evacuation orders issued by the Israel Defense Forces.
The obligations of international law are clear in demanding the protection of civilians, including medical personnel, the sick, the wounded, and ambulance crews, he insisted.
“Civilians in the Strip are suffering from food insecurity and face daily difficulties in obtaining even the minimum amount of food, besides the exponential increase in prices,” he lamented. (Text and photo: PL)
