Israel and the occupied territories: Ambulances arrive at Rafah crossing; ICRC calls for the protection of medical facilities and personnel

“It is an immense relief to know that these patients are safe and will receive urgent medical care,” said William Schomburg, the head of the ICRC’s subdelegation in Gaza. “I can’t emphasize enough how crucial it is that hospitals, medical personnel, and patients are protected amid this violence. There are thousands of critically injured people in Gaza. It is an obligation under international humanitarian law to protect them from harm.”

As the humanitarian situation in Gaza is rapidly deteriorating, the ICRC urgently calls on the parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and do everything in their power to avoid any harm to medical facilities, vehicles and personnel. Thousands of critically wounded civilians can no longer access hospitals that are increasingly unable to function due to damage and a lack of supplies.  

“Accepting violence against health-care facilities, now when their role is so critical, will come at an unacceptable cost in human life,” Mr Schomburg added. “The wounded and sick must be protected in all circumstances.”

About the ICRC

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.