Shootings ” large caliber » damaged the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza, which is surrounded by hundreds of displaced people, leaving 22 dead and 45 injured, the organization said this Friday, June 21 in the evening on the network social
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“ This incident caused a massive influx of victims to the nearby Red Cross field hospital. ” Who ” received 22 dead and 45 injured », writes the ICRC, which denounces the “ numerous serious incidents » of recent days « which endanger the lives of humanitarians and civilians “.
The ICRC office – which is surrounded by hundreds of displaced civilians living in tents – was damaged by nearby shelling in Gaza.
Firing so dangerously close to humanitarian structures puts the lives of civilians and humanitarians at risk. pic.twitter.com/V858eQLSsj
— ICRC in Israel & OT (@ICRC_ilot) June 21, 2024
The Israeli army intensified this Friday its strikes on the strip of Gaza in which at least 30 Palestinians were killed according to doctors, and exchanged new cross-border fire with Lebanese Hezbollah. The Ministry of Health of the government of the Gaza Strip, territory ruled by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, reported 25 dead and 50 injured, accusing the Israelis of having “ targeted tents of displaced civilians in al-Mawasi », area in the south of the Gaza Strip, near Rafah.
For his part, a spokesperson for the Israeli army indicated that “ an initial investigation suggests that there is no indication that a strike was carried out by the IDF [l’armée israélienne, NDLR] in the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone. » « The incident is under investigation », added the spokesperson.
“ Shooting so dangerously close to humanitarian structures (…) endangers the lives of civilians and Red Cross personnel »
According to the ICRC, the shooting of “ large caliber landed a few meters from the offices and residences of the International Committee of the Red Cross Friday afternoon “. “ This is one of several serious security incidents that have occurred in recent days. Stray bullets have already hit ICRC structures », Indicates the organization. “ Firing so dangerously close to humanitarian structures, the location of which is known to parties to the conflict and which are clearly marked with the Red Cross emblem, endangers the lives of civilians and Red Cross personnel “, she also emphasizes.
The organization recalls that under international humanitarian law, the parties to the conflict have the obligation to take “ all possible precautions ” For avoid loss of life in the civilian population, injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects, including humanitarian installations.
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