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** ICRC president: Widening hostilities across Middle East putting civilian lives in grave danger
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ICRC – News Release
02 March 2026
Geneva (ICRC) – The following is a statement from ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric on the widening of hostilities across the Middle East.
Widening hostilities across the Middle East are putting civilian lives in grave danger. The scale of major military operations flaring across the Middle East risks embroiling the region – and beyond – into another large-scale armed conflict that will overwhelm any humanitarian response. Without urgent steps to de-escalate the situation and respect the rules of war, further civilian lives will be lost.
Civilians are already suffering the consequences of war. All parties to armed conflict have an obligation to uphold the rules of war, which are unequivocal. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be spared from hostilities. Schools must remain sanctuaries for learning where children can feel safe and protected from attacks, and hospitals must remain sanctuaries for saving lives.
Medical personnel and first responders, such as the Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, must be protected in all circumstances and be able to carry out their work safely. All parties must allow and facilitate safe and unrestricted access for impartial humanitarian assistance to reach those in need.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
** For more information, please contact:
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Public Relations Unit | International Committee of the Red Cross | 19, avenue de la Paix | 1202 Geneva | Switzerland
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ICRC, Avenue de la Paix, 19, Geneva, . 1201 Switzerland