The International Committee of the Red Cross says Gaza is facing a humanitarian crisis as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues.

The Red Cross says that civilians are suffering intolerably and have no safe place to escape the violence.

The ICRC issued a statement on Saturday, calling for an urgent de-escalation of the conflict to allow humanitarian aid to reach the people in need. It said that the fighting and the military blockade trapped more than two million people in Gaza.

The Red Cross appealed to all parties to respect and protect civilian life and critical infrastructure. 

It said restoring health care, water, and electricity services in Gaza was a vital priority to save lives.

The president of the ICRC, Mirjana Spoljaric, expressed her shock and dismay at the situation. She said: “The tragic loss of so many civilian lives is deplorable. It is unacceptable that civilians have no safe place to go in Gaza amid the massive bombardments. With a military siege in place, there is also no adequate humanitarian response currently possible. This is a catastrophic failing that the world must not tolerate.“

The conflict in Gaza erupted in early October, causing casualties on both sides of Israel and Hamas.