Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has declared that war law in the entire Middle East is in a state of “irregularity”. According to her, the Geneva Conventions prohibit attacks on civilians; failure to respect them turns wars between belligerents into wars against civilian populations. Spoljaric warned that ignoring humanitarian law is “self‑destructive” a point she applied even to the attacks on Iran.
She compared Israel’s conduct in Lebanon to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. “Making civilian life impossible is a strategy we have observed for years in various conflict zones-whether in Gaza, Sudan, the Ukraine, or now the southern part of Lebanon”. In this view, civilians are exploited as a means to achieve military objectives. “These are wars aimed at eroding the very basis of entire populations’ existence” she said.
Spoljaric expressed concern about the strength of international law, noting that, like national law, its true impact lies in implementation. States must be brought back to full compliance with the Geneva Conventions. For international law to be effective, courts must be properly equipped and armed forces adequately trained. She emphasized that when governments gear themselves for war solely with military means, ordinary people inevitably suffer and are caught in the cross‑fire.
