Wednesday, August 9 2006 11:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beirut: The International Committee of the Red Cross said it was concerned about access to southern Lebanon for providing humanitarian aid, which is badly needed there.

"Our main concern is access to south Lebanon," said Red Cross chief Jakob Kellenberger Tuesday at the southern city of Tyre, where he had to cross a river on foot after two bridges linking the banks were destroyed by Israeli strikes.

"I crossed on foot. Fortunately there was not too much water," said Kellenberger, who was met by ICRC workers on the other side of the river and taken to a Tyre hotel, where the humanitarian organisation's local operations are headquartered. "Our other main concern is the respect of humanitarian law in the conduct of hostilities. You cannot rid yourself of your responsibility by dropping leaflets." The Israeli military dropped leaflets Tuesday on southern Lebanon, warning that it would strike any vehicle travelling south of the Litani river, an area that includes the port of Tyre. Kellenberger insisted that all sides should make the distinction between civilians and combatants, between civilian objectives and military objectives. Tyre, a port city 83 km south of Beirut, was completely cut off from the rest of the country by Israel bridge bombardments Monday. Kellenberger arrived Monday in Beirut to evaluate the humanitarian situation in Lebanon, the ICRC said.

He met with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. The number of outside Red Cross personnel working alongside Lebanese staff has been bolstered from two to 59 since the July 12 outbreak of hostilities between Israel and the Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah.