The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) urged Israel and the Palestinians on Wednesday to find a political solution so violence like last month's hostilities over the Gaza Strip border might be prevented.
On his first visit to Gaza in four years, Robert Mardini toured areas destroyed in Israeli bombardments during the 11 days of fighting.
"It is really heart-breaking to see and to hear about the people who paid the ultimate cost of this escalation - women, children, civilians who were living safely in their apartments and were caught in this rubble that we see behind us," he told Reuters.
"I hope this is the last time I am coming to witness yet again the results and the humanitarian impact of yet again another cycle of violence and escalation."