‘Irreversible consequences’ of new Middle East war: Red Cross

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says international law isn’t a choice but an obligation after the US attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, Al Jazeera reports.

“The intensification and spread of major military operations in the Middle East risk engulfing the region – and the world – in a war with irreversible consequences,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric was quoted as saying in a statement.

“The world cannot absorb limitless war. Upholding international humanitarian law is not a choice – it is an obligation. Civilians must be spared from the conduct of hostilities.”

Spoljaric noted ICRC has delegations in both Iran and Israel and is mobilising teams and supplies to scale up to increasing needs, the network said.

“[However], no humanitarian response can substitute for political will to prioritise peace, stability and human life,” she said, according to the network.