Humanitarian pauses necessary to guarantee access to aid in Gaza: Switzerland

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - Switzerland on Wednesday stressed the need for "humanitarian pauses or truces" in the Gaza Strip for humanitarian aid access.

"Humanitarian pauses or truces are necessary to guarantee access to aid and meet the needs of the population," the Federal Council said in a statement that warned the Israel-Palestine conflict is "threatening to destabilise the entire region."

The council said the number of people dependent on humanitarian aid is "highly likely to increase" across the region.

It urged all parties to respect international humanitarian law.

Additionally, the council proposed to allocate an additional CHF 90 million ($99.1 million) in aid to the region due to the "extremely alarming humanitarian situation."

The funds will go mainly to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the UN and international humanitarian NGOs, according to the statement.

The Israeli army expanded its air and ground attacks this week on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the Palestinian group, Hamas, launched a surprise offensive against Israel on Oct. 7.

More than 10,300 people have since been killed in the conflict, including at least 8,796 Palestinians and more than 1,538 Israelis.