Civilians are not pawns in war games and must be protected
Civilians are not pawns in war games and must be protected, ActionAid says, as staff member loses their home in Gaza bombing
As Gaza continues to endure relentless and indiscriminate bombardment, the loss of civilians, including humanitarian workers and medical personnel, and the rhetoric on civilian lives are alarming. ActionAid is calling for urgent action to stop the targeting and killing of civilians and ensure respect for international humanitarian law.
The Gaza health ministry has reported that 1,417 Palestinians, including 447 children and 248 women, have been killed, and 6,238 wounded in bombings since Saturday. The UN has reported 11 staff killed, and the Red Crescent has lost five staff members. The targeting of civilians and humanitarian workers is illegal and must stop.
“The loss of innocent civilians, humanitarian workers and medical personnel in Gaza is deeply distressing and calls for a deep reflection on the need to protect lives, essential services and civilian infrastructure, and respect international law. Earlier today, we received the devastating news that the apartment home of an ActionAid staff member has been bombed and reduced to rubble in Gaza. She and her two children and neighbours are terrified, and they have lost everything,” said Nadim Zaghloul, Interim Country Director & Head of Operation for ActionAid Palestine.
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Notes to editor
Spokespeople are available:
Nadim Zaghloul - ActionAid Palestine Interim Country Director & Head of Operation
Wisam Shweiki - Head of Programmes at ActionAid Palestine, in the West Bank
Cristina Muñoz - Director at ActionAid Spain, in Madrid
Gemma Cosialls - Country Manager at ActionAid Spain in Jerusalem
Razmi Farook - Director of Asia and Humanitarian at ActionAid International, in Colombo
Contact the ActionAid press office on media-enquiries@actionaid.org; +44 7586107955 or +263776665065.
About ActionAid
ActionAid is a global federation working with more than 41 million people living in more than 71 of the world’s poorest countries. We want to see a just, fair, and sustainable world, in which everybody enjoys the right to a life of dignity, and freedom from poverty and oppression. We work to achieve social justice and gender equality and to eradicate poverty.
ActionAid has been working in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) for many years supporting Palestinian people living without access to basic services and the most fundamental human rights and freedoms.
