ICRC President: The world must not tolerate the catastrophic situation in Gaza

(Patria) - The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross called on all parties to act to stop the "unbearable" human suffering of civilians in the Gaza Strip, AFP reported.

"This is a catastrophic failure that the world must not tolerate," said Mirjana Špoljarić, as Israel announced that the war with Hamas had "entered a new phase" with massive bombing of Gaza.

"I am shocked by the unbearable level of human suffering and call on the parties to the conflict to de-escalate now," she said.

"It is unacceptable that civilians have no safe shelter in Gaza amid massive bombings, and with a military siege, an adequate humanitarian response is currently not possible," she added.

Špoljarić made the remarks a few hours after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sharply criticised the "unprecedented escalation" of the bombing of Gaza and called for an "immediate" ceasefire.

The Israeli army on Saturday warned residents of Gaza City, in northern Gaza, that the area is now a "battlefield," ordering them to "evacuate immediately" to the south.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned on Saturday that there is a possibility that thousands more civilians could die if Israel launches a major ground offensive in Gaza.