Gaza Strip : ICRC calls for respect for international humanitarian law
01-07-2006 News Release 06/73
Geneva (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is concerned about the humanitarian consequences of the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip in recent days.
It appeals for the rules and principles of international humanitarian law to be fully respected.
The ICRC urges all parties to spare civilians not taking direct part in hostilities and reminds them that attacks must not be directed against civilian objects. In particular, it recalls the obligation to exercise precaution and to respect the proportionality principle in all military operations so as to prevent unnecessary suffering among the civilian population.
The ICRC also calls on those detaining the Israeli soldier captured on 25 June to treat him humanely and to respect his life and his dignity, in accordance with international humanitarian law.
For further information, please contact:
Dorothea Krimitsas, ICRC Geneva, tel + 41 22 730 25 90 or + 41 79 251 93 18
Caspar Landolt, ICRC Jerusalem, tel +972 2 582 88 45 or +972 57 773 52 35
Bana Sayeh, ICRC Jerusalem, tel +972 2 582 88 45 or +972 57 880 91 93
Yael Eytan, ICRC Tel Aviv, tel +972 35 24 52 86 or +972 52 275 7517