22 people killed by airstrike as Red Cross building near Gaza compound damaged

22 June 2024 , 14:56

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An airstrike damaged the structure of the Red Cross office in Gaza (Image: AFP)

Twenty-two people have died in an airstrike which damaged a Red Cross building in Gaza.

The victims had been taking shelter in the compound, which was struck by heavy-calibre projectiles and the shelling killed the group. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said: "Heavy-calibre projectiles landed within metres of the office and residences of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Friday afternoon."

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."

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Gazans queue for hours to receive aid outside the building last week (Anadolu via Getty Images)

The ICRC said the "grave security incident" was one of several in recent days. The statement added: "We decry these incidents that put the lives of humanitarians and civilians at risk.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza gave different figures, saying 25 people had been killed and 50 injured in the shelling, which it blamed on Israel. On Saturday William Schomburg, head of the ICRC office in Rafah, described the scene of Friday's attack. He told the BBC, from Rafah: "There were many wounded, the scenes were horrific, frankly nothing that I've ever seen before.

"We had an influx of children, women, young men all of whom had been extremely badly injured as a result of these explosions. We were able to transfer them to the nearby located Red Cross field hospital where we have dedicated teams working to try and save lives and to meet the needs of civilians during this conflicts, who have consistently lacked access to healthcare."

Bradley Jolly