22 killed in strike near its Gaza office – Red Cross

61

The International Committee of the Red Cross reports that its offices in Gaza have been damaged by shelling, resulting in the deaths of 22 people who had sought refuge around its compound.

“Heavy-calibre projectiles landed within metres of the office and residences of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Friday afternoon,” an ICRC statement said.

It added that all parties had an obligation to take precautions to avoid harm to civilians and humanitarian facilities.

An Israel Defense Forces spokesman told the BBC that initial inquiries suggested there was “no indication” that it had carried out a strike in the area, but added that the incident was “under review”.

“The strike damaged the structure of the ICRC office, which is surrounded by hundreds of displaced civilians living in tents, including many of our Palestinian colleagues,” the ICRC said.

“This incident caused a mass casualty influx at the nearby Red Cross Field Hospital, with the hospital receiving 22 killed and 45 injured, with reports of additional casualties.”

The ICRC said the “grave security incident” was one of several in recent days.

“We decry these incidents that put the lives of humanitarians and civilians at risk,” the statement added.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported different figures, stating that 25 people were killed and 50 injured in the shelling, which it attributed to Israel.

The Israeli military launched a campaign to dismantle the Palestinian armed group in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the capture of 251 hostages.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, more than 37,390 people have been killed since then. The ministry’s figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but it had reportedly identified 14,680 children, women, and elderly among the dead by the end of April.

In another development, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has warned that escalating hostilities between Israel and the Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah risk triggering a regional and global catastrophe.

Mr. Guterres accused both sides of increasingly aggressive rhetoric and called for an immediate de-escalation, stating that the world could not afford for Lebanon to become “another Gaza.”

Recent months have seen a series of retaliatory cross-border strikes between Israel and Hezbollah. The Iran-backed group claims it is fighting Israel to support its ally, Hamas, in Gaza.