Protect the Red Cross emblem. Enable Red Cross teams to save lives under international humanitarian law as US-Israel ‘Epic Fury’ recklessness spreads across the Middle East, and beyond.

Sceptical Scot is sharing this urgent message from Gabriel Karlsson, British Red Cross Middle East Country Cluster manager, speaking from Beirut.  The message  repeated as Karlsson tracks the spread of Red Cross search and rescue work across Iran, Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, Kuwait and Syria.  Even if Trump declares an end to the war he began in Iran,  Israel promises to keep up the attack on Lebanon.  The unknown consequences of US-Israeli illegal war will continue to spread. 

Red Cross teams are at risk as they tirelessly work to save lives in the war zones spreading across borders. 

Gabriel Karlsson says he has seen heroic efforts of the Lebanese Red Cross. He is asking for protection under international humanitarian law for the Red Cross emblem wherever it is – Tehran, Baghdad,Tel Aviv, Jerusalem –  to protect and provide humanitarian aid workers with the ability to save lives

.We constantly worry about our brothers and sisters and ambulances and first responders teams in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as much as they are in the Gulf, and Doha and Abu Dhabi. That is a constant worry because we see the deterioration and lack of respect for international humanitarian law and we here want to remind parties to the conflict it’s not an option to respect the law. It’s an obligation for everybody.’

Lest we forget

Under the Geneva Conventions, the emblems of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are to be worn by all medical and humanitarian personnel and also displayed on their vehicles and buildings while they are in an active warzone, and all military forces operating in an active warzone must not attack entities displaying these emblems.^{[1] Wikipedia}

This resonates at a personal level.  For the last few years of his life our co-founder David Gow was a dedicated volunteer with the British Red Cross in Edinburgh.