The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says that at least 22 people were killed in an attack that targeted civilians in shelters in southern Gaza on Friday (21).
The attack hit the tents of displaced residents in Mawasi, a Palestinian city, where parts of the territory have been identified by the Israeli military as a humanitarian zone.
Israel has been stepping up its operation in neighboring Rafah, where it launched an offensive last month as part of its campaign to dismantle Hamas in Gaza.
After the attack, a nearby Red Cross field hospital received 22 bodies and 45 wounded, the ICRC said.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) blamed Israel for the attack, saying it was dealing with a large number of casualties.
The Gaza Ministry of Health stated that 25 people were killed and 50 injured in the attack. A CNN could not confirm casualty numbers.
The Israeli military said the incident was being analyzed, but initial investigations found “no indication” that they were behind the attack in Mawasi.
The Israeli government has identified part of Mawasi — on the coast — as a humanitarian zone.
Meanwhile, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported the highest number of deaths in the Gaza Strip in a 24-hour period since June 9.
The ministry said 101 people were killed on Thursday (20) and another 169 were injured.
According to the Red Cross committee, one of its facilities was damaged in Friday’s attack (21).
In a post on X, the ICRC did not attribute responsibility for the attack, but said “the ICRC office — which is surrounded by hundreds of displaced civilians living in tents — was damaged by nearby shelling in Gaza.”
“Firing so dangerously close to humanitarian structures puts the lives of civilians and humanitarians at risk,” the publication adds.
The ICRC said there were “heavy caliber projectiles” that fell just meters from the facility and that this incident was one of several that occurred in recent days after stray bullets hit committee structures.
He said parties to the conflict have an obligation to take “all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians.”
Source: CNN Brasil
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