On Lebanon visit, ICRC president calls for cease-fire to be maintained

The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric, on a visit to Lebanon on Saturday, stressed that “humanitarian needs remain enormous following the recent escalation of hostilities” and called for the cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel to be maintained.

“Civilians cannot endure a collapse of the cease-fire, which would return them to violent fighting resulting in death and destruction. Maintaining the cease-fire is essential for families to be able to return home and rebuild their lives, and for humanitarian aid to reach those who need it most,” said Spoljaric, according to an ICRC press release.

“The scale of the destruction and the considerable humanitarian needs in Lebanon could have been greatly reduced if the parties to the conflict had fully respected the rules of war,” said the president of the Red Cross. She also pointed out that the ICRC is working to “create the conditions conducive to the safe return of displaced persons” by supporting their livelihoods, repairing and protecting basic infrastructure and raising awareness of the danger of unexploded ordnance. The ICRC is working with the Lebanese Red Cross and other partners to achieve this, she continued.

Spoljaric also announced that she was traveling to Syria this Saturday to meet the new authorities and assess the humanitarian needs in the country.

The cease-fire that ended the war between Hezbollah and Israel came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024. Since then, Beirut has repeatedly condemned hundreds of violations of the agreement by Israel, which also accuses Lebanon of violations. On Dec. 24, the Lebanese Foreign Affairs Ministry lodged a complaint with the U.N. Security Council, condemning Israel's repeated violations of the cease-fire and Resolution 1701.