ICRC seeks protection of civilians, health workers, in Gaza

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called for urgent protection of all civilians, including humanitarian workers and medical personnel in Gaza.

In a statement by its Public Relations Officer in Abuja, Aliyu Dawobe, the Head of ICRC sub-delegation in Gaza, William Schomburg, emphasized the devastating impact of attacks on medical facilities and personnel, severely exacerbating the already weakened healthcare system in Gaza after more than a month of intense fighting.

“The destruction affecting hospitals in Gaza is becoming unbearable and needs to stop. The lives of thousands of civilians, patients and medical staff are at risk”

“Over the past days, ICRC teams distributing critical supplies to medical structures across Gaza, have witnessed horrendous images that have now gotten worse due to sharpened hostilities” it stated.

Expressing concern, ICRC noted that even children’s hospitals, such as Al Nasser Hospital and Al Rantisi Hospital, have not been spared from the violence.

It added that the Al Shifa Medical Complex, the largest referral hospital in Gaza, is overwhelmed with patients and has become a refuge for thousands of displaced families who lost their homes in the conflict over the last month.

The ICRC also acknowledged the relentless efforts of its partner, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), to sustain operations at Al Quds Hospital amid depleting resources and escalating hostilities.