GAZA CITY  :International Committee of the Red Cross chief Jakob Kellenberger on Tuesday called for medical workers in Gaza to be protected as he visited the battered territory in the midst of an Israeli war.

"I wanted to see this hospital," he said outside Gaza City's Al-Shifa hospital that, short-staffed and low on supplies, has been straining to handle the wounded from Israel's deadliest offensive on Gaza.

"And I can only say this is really very sad and it hurts a lot when you see what I've just seen. It's absolutely indispensable and not negotiable that (the) medical mission in such a conflict has to be protected," he said.

At least 12 medics have been killed since Israel unleashed its Operation Cast Lead on Hamas in Gaza on December 27.

In the entire massive offensive has killed 935 people, including 280 children, and wounded another 4,260, according to Gaza medics.

Kellenberger arrived in Gaza on Tuesday at the start of a three-day visit to Palestinian territories and Israel during which he plans to hold talks with senior Israeli and Palestinian officials.

The ICRC, which has a dual role as a relief agency in conflicts and the guardian of the Geneva Conventions, has been unusually outspoken over the past week about the impact of the fighting on civilians and health workers.

The ICRC has also put on public record its concern about the number of casualties and civilian buildings, including hospitals, damaged in the fighting, underlining that international law forbids any attacks on civilians.

Kellenberger has backed up repeated calls for unrestricted safe passage for ambulances at all times.

On Tuesday the agency complained in a daily report that access to the wounded was still limited due to the fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian Hamas militants.

"We now have to assess on a case-by-case basis whether we can go on a rescue mission to evacuate people in need," said Antoine Grand, head of the ICRC office in Gaza.

Print

Tell friend

Top

---