13 November 2023 — The reports of fighting around Gaza’s hospitals - including the main Al Shifa hospital - as well as the continued bombing of densely populated areas are a threat to our common humanity.
The IRC calls for the protection of civilians, hospitals, the sick and the wounded. Medical facilities must be allowed to exercise their humanitarian, lifesaving function without interference. An immediate humanitarian ceasefire is imperative to protect civilians, save lives and alleviate suffering.
International Humanitarian Law specifically prohibits attacks on hospitals, ambulances and their personnel and protects those with medical needs during armed conflicts. IHL requires healthcare facilities, vehicles and their staff to be kept separate from military installations or activities. Any deviation from this legal minimum standard endangers lives and erodes the very foundations of international laws and norms, built to protect civilians even in the most dire circumstances. Palestinian civilians in Gaza are experiencing these circumstances now.
Bob Kitchen, VP Emergencies, said:
“As long as the bombardment in densely populated areas continues, civilians will be killed and the demands on Gaza’s fragile health system will be overwhelming. Already these facilities are struggling to deliver care with limited electricity and safe water and dwindling supplies of medicine and fuel. And with 95% of the population cut off from safe water and civilians displacing into crowded settings without proper sanitation, the spectre of infectious disease outbreaks loom.
"Hospitals must remain safe for the protection and care of the sick and wounded, including lifesaving care and specialist care for children, the disabled, elderly and others who cannot move elsewhere. The threshold for removing this protection, even temporarily, is and must be high. Given the level of need, destruction and fear in Gaza, fighting around and attacks on hospitals must stop.
"Preserving the protection and functioning of hospitals and safety of civilians with nowhere safe to flee is not just a legal obligation; it’s a moral imperative. Our collective humanity demands that we protect all those not participating in war and work to save lives, even in the midst of chaos.”
The IRC calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to protect civilians, save lives, alleviate suffering and work for the release of hostages. It must cover all of Gaza. Anything less will not alleviate the unacceptable suffering being experienced by Palestinians civilians trapped in this conflict.