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On Thursday, Peter Maurer, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that the scale of civilian casualties during Operation Protective Edge in Gaza should not happen again.
The head of the ICRC said that he was “deeply distressed and shocked to see the impact of violence on the civilian population”.
Maurer visited the Palestinian enclave as Hamas and Israel were observing a 72-hour peace deal which will expire at 05:00 GMT on Friday, and called for an extension of the truce. According to Palestinian officials, 1,886 people were killed in the Israeli aggression, and that over 1,300 of them were civilians.
Maurer also indicated that there might have been violations of international humanitarian law.
“The law hasn’t been accurately and ambitiously implemented in this armed conflict.The Geneva Conventions have been designed to protect and assist people, and I cannot be satisfied … when after four weeks of armed conflict we see the amount of destruction and the amount of victims”, he said.
However, in accordance with ICRC’s principles of neutrality, he declined to lay the blame on either side, and said that every incident will be investigated. He added that the organization will also compile a confidential report and will share its recommendations to all parties “to ensure… this amount of victims” doesn’t happen again.
He also said that the ICRC will investigate the exact circumstances in which Palestinian Red Crescent personnel and other medical personnel were killed.
“I’m moderately optimistic from the signs of goodwill I have encountered in all places to engage with the ICRC to make our assistance and protection more meaningful”, he said.
Maurer met with political leaders in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Gaza during his trip.
The ICRC was determined to reduce the “enormous discrepancy” between the capacity and need of aid organizations to protect and aid civilians in regions of conflict, Maurer said. It also would work immediately to re-establish electricity, sanitation and water supplies, as well as help the displaced and increase medical assistance in the Gaza Strip.
