ICRC Statement
Military escalation in the Middle East
Geneva (ICRC) – The following is a statement attributable to ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric on the escalation of major military operations in the Middle East:
The military escalation in the Middle East is igniting a dangerous chain reaction across the region, with potentially devastating consequences for civilians.
Upholding the rules of war is an obligation and not a choice. In international armed conflicts, international humanitarian law, in particular all four Geneva Conventions, apply. Civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, homes and schools must be spared from attack. Medical personnel and first responders must be allowed to carry out their work safely.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has teams on the ground in Iran, Israel and across the region and stands ready to respond to needs within our mandate and where we can operate, together with our Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners. But humanitarian aid cannot match the pace or scale of suffering caused by continuous conflict; political will is needed to achieve peace and prevent further death and destruction.
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