Israel targets Red Cross office in Gaza, despite ‘known mark’

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said that its office in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah was damaged by an Israeli “explosive projectile” despite being clearly marked and notified to all parties. Nobody was injured, said the ICRC, but it strongly condemned the attack that had a direct impact on its ability to operate.

“The escalation of hostilities in Gaza over the past week has had significant humanitarian impacts, with hundreds of civilians killed, some of whom remain buried under rubble while others have been left behind unable to be rescued,” explained the organisation. “New evacuation orders and intense hostilities are causing people to flee without a clear sense of areas that are safe, and many people have nowhere else to go.”

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Many families, it added, have been forced to leave behind their tents and belongings. “In addition, there are dwindling supplies of food and safe water. Medical facilities, including the Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah, are now also responding to mass casualty incidents.”

On Sunday, contact was lost with emergency medical technicians from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and their whereabouts remain unknown. Last week, humanitarian workers in Gaza were killed and injured, said the ICRC.

The organisation emphasised that international humanitarian law affords special protection to humanitarian relief and medical personnel, medical facilities and objects used for humanitarian relief operations. “They must be respected and protected in all circumstances to ensure the continuity of care.”

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