“Every day this continues is a day more where the international community hasn’t proven capable of ending such high levels of suffering” – ICRC President, Mirjana Spoljaric.
The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), on Tuesday, deplored the conflict in Gaza as a “moral failure” of the international community and urged Israel and Hamas to reach a new deal to halt the fighting, Reuters news agency reported.
“I have been speaking of moral failure because every day this continues is a day more where the international community hasn’t proven capable of ending such high levels of suffering and this will have an impact on generations, not only in Gaza,” ICRC President, Mirjana Spoljaric, told journalists in Geneva.
Her comments followed trips to the besieged Gaza Strip and Israel.
🚨PALESTINE CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT:
Violent artillery and air bombardment on Jabalia camp and Al-Balad, north of the Gaza Strip.
Violent clashes between the resistance and invading Israeli forces east of Jabalia camp and the Tal al-Zaatar area in the northern Gaza Strip… pic.twitter.com/IkBgqNdRxg
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 19, 2023
“There’s nothing without an agreement by the two sides, so we urge them to keep negotiating …” she said, referring to the release of Israeli officers and soldiers, held by the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza during the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ operation in southern Israel on 7 October.
“The releases in themselves are highly complex, highly sensitive missions,” she added.
A truce mediated by Qatar and Egypt held for a week at the end of November and brought about the release of 110 Israelis in Gaza, in exchange for 240 Palestinian civilians – women and children – from Israeli prisoners.
Although the ICRC facilitated the release of prisoners during the truce, the group has been criticized by some Israelis for not doing more to have the hostages freed. Some social media users have equated the ICRC to a taxi service to drive prisoners out of Gaza.
🚨PALESTINE CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT:
Israeli aircraft bombed the UNRWA headquarters in the industrial area in northern Gaza.
FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG:https://t.co/u2YPC3qycD pic.twitter.com/edaiF0H1Be
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 19, 2023
“You don’t just go there and take the hostages and bring them out,” Spoljaric said, saying that any analogy with an Uber or taxi service was “unacceptable and outrageous”.
“Our colleagues risked their lives and their safety and security during these operations and the hostages are highly exposed while these things are ongoing,” she added.
Rightwing Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, appeared to confirm last week that new negotiations were under way to recover hostages still held by Hamas, after a source said Israel’s intelligence chief met the Qatari Prime Minister.
Spoljaric said the ICRC would stand ready to assist again, once the parties arrive at an agreement.
“We continue to talk to all sides to then be ready to operationalize the agreement that they reach.”
Was Al-Qassam Fighter Who Released Israeli Captives a Woman? – Fact Check
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 19,667 Palestinians have been killed and 52,586 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Palestinian and international estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
(PC, MEMO)
Ok, well where was she over the past 10+ years? going back we see this happening- Palestinians and Gazans, as well as Israelis living in Gaza-being harassed, and/or murdered by the Israeli settlers, the IDF, Israeli forces all in the name of Zionism; which IS racism. the UN was definitely pressured into re-wording that argument. Zionists all over the world enable Zionists in Israel. Zionists in the UN, go unpunished as they encourage and enable terrorism: genocide, ethnic cleansing, murder of children, infanticide, forced relocation. then they veto efforts for peace and ceasefires. As a US citizen, i object to what my US government is doing, has done for decades