ABU DHABI, 28th March, 2017 (WAM) -- The recent civilian deaths in the Al Jadida area of the Iraqi city of Mosul are a terrible tragedy, which imply that more extraordinary measures are needed to avoid harming civilians, commented a UAE daily.
Rescue workers are still searching the site of the March 17 explosion, where one health official claimed 160 bodies had been recovered. Iraq's military says 61 bodies have been pulled out so far.
"Eyewitnesses have described a massive explosion that collapsed buildings and buried residents inside. But what caused the blast is as yet unclear," said The Gulf Today in an editorial on Tuesday.
The Jadida incident also highlights the complexity of the fighting in west Mosul, where militants hide among families, using them as shields and putting at risk as many as half a million people still caught in Daesh-held areas.
"What is worrying is that hundreds of thousands of civilians are still trapped, caught between advancing Iraqi forces and the dreaded Daesh militants," added the paper.
Iraqi Parliament Speaker, Salim Al Jabouri, has declared on a television channel that more civilian casualties could result in a halt to operations until a way to protect residents is found.
Brigadier General Yahya Rasool, Spokesman for the Joint Operations Command, has accused Daesh of gathering civilians and then blowing up explosives-rigged vehicles nearby to cast the blame on Iraqi forces.
According to Bruno Geddo, Representative of the UN Refugee Agency in Iraq, the worst is yet to come. Some 340,000 people have been displaced since the fighting in Mosul started last October. Children are the worst affected. Some 1.4 million children have been displaced by the violence in Iraq and 200,000 children remain trapped in Mosul alone.
Life in the Old City is also becoming impossible with a lack of food, clean water or fuel. Civilians have been the biggest victims in Mosul. Daesh has been ruthlessly targeting them. They are being shot as they try and leave the city and they are being shot as they try and secure food and other resources.
The safety, security and protection of civilians, especially women and children, in Mosul are of paramount concern. There should be no laxity on this front. Civilians should be allowed to leave areas of conflict for safer zones.
"The international humanitarian law is clear. As UN officials point out, parties to the conflict, all parties, are obliged to do everything possible to protect civilians. This means that combatants cannot use people as human shields and cannot imperil lives through indiscriminate use of fire-power," concluded the Sharjah-based daily.