The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Sunday that there is an “intolerable toll of pain” nearly a year into the war triggered by Hamas’s brutal October 7 attacks on Israel, followed by Israel’s bombardments of Gaza.
“People in the region continue to endure an unbearable toll of pain, suffering, and loss that transcends borders… Human suffering has no borders,” the international aid agency said in Geneva.
“This is a year marked by heartbreak and unanswered questions. Families have been torn apart, with many loved ones still held against their will. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions have been displaced across the region,” it stated.
The ICRC once again called on all parties involved to adhere to international humanitarian law. The dignity of people must be respected.
Under the Geneva Conventions, the agency is responsible for preventing and alleviating suffering during armed conflicts, with the protection of civilians as its priority.
It is supposed to have access to prisoners in any conflict, though this is not currently the case in the Middle East. Remaining strictly neutral, it refrains from naming specific parties that violate international law.
