Sir, Since the declaration of unilateral ceasefires in Gaza (report, Jan 19), the Palestinian people have slowly been venturing out to look for lost relatives and take stock of what is left of their lives. As ambulances of the Palestine Red Crescent Society rushed to areas that were previously inaccessible because of the fighting, rescue teams pulled scores more bodies from the rubble. Any hopes of finding more survivors were quickly dashed.

The humanitarian cost of this conflict need not have been so high. The shocking scenes of civilian suffering that I witnessed in Gaza at the height of the recent fighting have served to bring home with blinding clarity one incontrovertible truth. This does not concern the rights and wrongs of this apparently intractable conflict and the historical grievances of the parties involved, which no one will pretend have been resolved with the recent truce. Neither does it concern apportionment of blame on either side. It concerns only the right of civilians to be spared, and the right of the wounded to be treated rapidly, at all times. These rights are absolute and cannot be negotiated.

Life-saving humanitarian action in the midst of a war cannot be based on small windows of opportunity or on negotiated access such as humanitarian corridors. Delays of even several hours are simply unacceptable. The daily three-hour pause in fighting to allow humanitarian workers to do their job, while a step in the right direction, was still woefully inadequate in order for medical teams to access the wounded and evacuate them to where they could be treated. Humanitarian access must be granted at all times. It almost goes without saying that in order to save lives, medical personnel and facilities must be respected by all parties to the conflict. On this, international humanitarian law is unequivocal.

Even while I was visiting Gaza’s Shifa hospital, the influx of wounded people — including large numbers of women and children — continued at an alarming rate. It was deeply distressing to see so many victims with often horrific injuries. Yet, for all those who managed to get to hospital, we knew there were many more that ambulances were not able to reach, trapped by the fighting and unable to move. This was an intolerable situation — one that contributed to the terrible death toll that is only now becoming fully apparent.

Medical and humanitarian facilities themselves became increasingly exposed to the effects of the fighting. The Al Quds hospital run by the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Gaza City — already overcrowded and overstretched, like all of Gaza’s hospitals — suffered a direct hit, as did a warehouse full of relief items. These deplorable events must not be allowed to recur.

The suffering of the families in Sderot in southern Israel living in fear of rocket attacks for years should not be forgotten either. It is impossible, and undesirable, to measure or compare human grief and suffering — no matter how high or low the casualty toll. If the humanitarian situation in southern Israel required it, we would be raising exactly the same concerns with regard to medical access and the right of wounded people to receive prompt treatment.

Indeed, we necessarily raise such humanitarian concerns — without distinction — for victims on both sides of any front line. Humanitarian needs must be addressed no matter where they are found. Space must be given, without condition, for humanitarian workers to respond effectively to these needs. This is true not just in Gaza and southern Israel, but also in situations of armed conflict around the world.

As the slow and painful process of reconstruction and rehabilitation begins in Gaza, the humanitarian needs of the people will remain daunting for a long time to come, and the psychological trauma impossible to measure. If only one lesson is learnt from this grim episode, it should be to underline the need for full and unconditional humanitarian access to all victims, at all times. Medical teams must be allowed to do their work. Anything less is simply unconscionable.

Jakob Kellenberger

President of the International Committee of the Red Cross

Explore Letters

• Feedback