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