GENEVA: A month after the unrest erupted, the Red Cross demanded on Tuesday an end to the horrific suffering of civilians, and especially children, decrying a `moral failing`.

`One month on, civilians in Gaza and Israel are being forced to endure tremendous suffering and loss. This needs to stop,` the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement.

`Massive bombardments are gutting civilian infrastructure across Gaza, sowing seeds of hardship for generations to come,` the ICRC statement said.

The organisation`s president Mirjana Spoljaric said she had been particularly shocked to see the suffering that childrenhavehadtoendure.

`Children have been ripped from their families and held hostage. In Gaza, ICRC surgeons treat toddlers whose skin is charred from widespread burns,` she said in the statement.`The images of suffering, dead and wounded children will haunt us all. This is a moral failing,` she added. Spoljaric also called for the immediate release of prisoners held by Hamas.

`They play no part in this conflict and we reiterate our offer as neutral actor to facilitate any future release operation, she said.

`Until then we continue all our efforts to urge Hamas and all those with influence to allow ICRC personnel to visit the hostages,` she added.

The organisation insisted that all parties to the unrest `must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and spare all civilians from the conduct of military operations.` It pointed out that the military siege of Gaza had deprived people there of food, water and medicine, and warned that the `sparse aid` trickling in was not able to provide people with the essentials to survive.-AFP