ICRC mourns Lebanese Red Cross volunteer killed during rescue mission in South Lebanon

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it is deeply saddened by the killing of Lebanese Red Cross volunteer Youssef Assaf, who died from injuries he sustained while taking part in a rescue mission in South Lebanon.

The head of the ICRC delegation in Lebanon, Agnès Durand, said: “The loss of a member of the Lebanese Red Cross who was working to save the lives of others is devastating for all of us. We are also deeply concerned for our other injured colleagues and medical workers affected across Lebanon. Our hearts go out to their families, friends, and fellow volunteers who continue to serve communities under extremely dangerous conditions.”

She noted that humanitarian and medical workers risk their lives every day to help the wounded and support those affected by hostilities, stressing that they must be able to carry out their duties safely and without obstruction.

The ICRC also reminded all parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law to respect and protect medical personnel, ambulances, hospitals, and medical units at all times. This includes taking all possible precautions to avoid civilian casualties and, in all cases, minimizing them as much as possible.

The organization added that parties must respect the protective emblem, facilitate humanitarian rescue missions, ensure teams can safely reach victims and transport them to health facilities, and guarantee the safe return of rescue teams to their bases so they can continue providing life-saving services.