The Palestine Red Crescent Society Warns of the Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) is deeply concerned about the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, as a result of the Israeli occupation attacks against the protected population in the Strip, including medical teams. The ongoing military attack launched by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on the Gaza Strip since Saturday, October 7, 2023, has resulted in 687 deaths, including 143 children and 105 women, and 6 healthcare workers, and the injury of 3726 civilians according to the latest update.

IOF continue to violate International Humanitarian Law (IHL) provisions by targeting civilians and civilian objects, and destroying the infrastructure in the Strip, which restricts PRCS' movement and ability to carry out its humanitarian mission. PRCS also views with the utmost concern the statements of Israeli occupation authorities regarding the full blockade on the Strip, banning the entry of food, water, and fuel, which constitutes collective punishment for more than two million Palestinian civilians. PRCS and other humanitarian organizations suffer from a shortage of essential supplies needed to continue providing their services, as a result of this illegal blockade.

In the same context, PRCS warns of the serious escalation of IOF violations against medical teams in the occupied Palestinian territory, where PRCS has recorded 23 violations against its medical missions since Saturday, October 7, 2023. Among those, PRCS recorded 7 violations in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the injury of 5 paramedics, one of whom is in critical condition, and material damage to 6 ambulances, in addition to serious damage to PRCS’ headquarters in northern Gaza and damage to the emergency operations room at PRCS’ main headquarters in the southern governorates of the Strip, as a result of the IOF ongoing indiscriminate bombardment. 

PRCS also recorded 16 violations in the West Bank, including targeting ambulances with live ammunition, threatening and detaining medical teams, and denying or delaying access to the sick and wounded. In a serious incident that occurred on Monday, October 9, 2023, in Ramallah governorate, one of the PRCS' medical teams was physically and verbally assaulted, held for half an hour, had their phones confiscated, and was explicitly threatened with death.

PRCS calls on the international community to hold Israeli occupation authorities accountable for the grave breaches of IHL, which may amount to war crimes. PRCS further calls to provide protection and safe access to the sick and wounded for medical and humanitarian workers, and to intervene urgently to stop the humanitarian crisis, and open a safe humanitarian corridor, to ensure the entry of fuel and essential supplies for the operation of humanitarian facilities, and transfer of the sick and wounded who need to receive treatment outside the Strip, in adherence with their legal obligations according to international law.