Chicago – February 01, 2026
The world must seize the momentum from the first phase of the ceasefire to urgently alleviate the catastrophic human suffering in the Gaza Strip, International Committee of the Red Cross chief said on Friday, calling for an end to restrictions that have left millions in misery.
ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric emphasised that while recent prisoner exchanges allowed families to mourn or reunite, the civilian population remains in a desperate struggle for survival against harshwinter conditions and devastated infrastructure in the besieged territory.
“States must harness the momentum generated by the first phase of the agreement between Israel and Hamas to urgently improve the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza,” Spoljaric said.
For the past 15 weeks, the ICRC has worked with mediators to facilitate the return of prisoners and the remains of the deceased.
