The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provides humanitarian aid and protection to people affected by armed conflict and other emergencies. They stated that their offices in Gaza were attacked by explosives. This caused the death of 22 people who were seeking shelter near the compound. According to the Red Cross, large missiles landed very close to their office and homes on Friday afternoon.
The statement emphasized that all parties involved should take steps to prevent harm to civilians and humanitarian buildings. A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces told the BBC that their initial investigation did not indicate they had conducted a strike in that area, but they are reviewing the incident.
ICRC stated that the strike damaged their office, which is located near hundreds of displaced civilians living in tents, including many Palestinian staff members. The incident caused a large number of casualties to arrive at the nearby Red Cross Field Hospital. The hospital received 22 people who were killed and 45 who were injured, with reports of more casualties.
ICRC claimed, this “serious security incident” was one of several that have occurred in recent days. “We condemn these incidents that endanger the lives of humanitarians and civilians,” the statement added.
William Schomburg, head of the ICRC office in Rafah, described to the BBC on Saturday that there were many wounded and the scenes were horrific, unlike anything he has ever seen before. There was a rush of children, women, and young men, all of whom were severely injured due to these explosions.
“We managed to move them to the Red Cross field hospital nearby, where our teams are focused on saving lives and assisting civilians in this conflict, who have long faced challenges in accessing healthcare.” He added.
The Israeli military began a campaign to knock down the Palestinian terrorist group following a significant attack on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths, primarily civilians, and the capture of 251 others.
More than 37,551 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but it had reportedly identified 14,680 children, women, and elderly people among the dead by the end of April.