The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that its offices in Gaza sustained damage from shelling, resulting in the deaths of 22 people who had sought refuge around the compound. “Heavy-caliber projectiles landed within meters of the office and residences of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Friday afternoon,” the ICRC stated.
The ICRC emphasized that all parties must take precautions to protect civilians and humanitarian facilities. An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman noted that initial investigations suggested “no indication” of IDF involvement in the strike but mentioned that the incident is “under review.”
The ICRC detailed that the strike caused significant structural damage to their office, which is encircled by tents housing hundreds of displaced civilians, including numerous Palestinian colleagues. This incident led to a surge of casualties at the nearby Red Cross Field Hospital, with the facility treating 22 fatalities and 45 injuries, and additional casualties reported.
The ICRC described the event as a “grave security incident,” one of several in recent days, and condemned actions endangering the lives of humanitarians and civilians. Contrarily, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported 25 deaths and 50 injuries from the shelling, attributing the attack to Israel.
The conflict in Gaza intensified following an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, predominantly civilians, and the capture of 251 hostages. Since then, more than 37,390 people have been killed in Gaza, with the health ministry identifying 14,680 children, women, and elderly among the deceased.
In a related development, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has warned that escalating hostilities between Israel and the Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah could lead to a regional catastrophe. Guterres urged both sides to de-escalate immediately, cautioning that Lebanon could become “another Gaza.” The past months have witnessed retaliatory cross-border strikes between Israel and Hezbollah, with the latter claiming to support Hamas in Gaza.
