GENEVA

The Red Cross said on Wednesday that it has temporarily suspended its operations in Gaza City and relocated staff to its offices in southern Gaza due to intensified military operations.

"The intensification of military operations in Gaza City has forced the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to temporarily suspend operations at its Gaza City office and relocate staff to ICRC offices in southern Gaza to ensure staff safety and operational continuity," the organization said in a statement.

The move comes as tens of thousands of people still in Gaza City face worsening humanitarian conditions.

The ICRC said it will continue to support civilians in Gaza City "whenever circumstances allow" from its offices in Deir al-Balah and Rafah, which remain fully operational. This includes medical donations to the few remaining health facilities and efforts to facilitate the movements of first responders, it added. In Rafah, the Red Cross Field Hospital "will continue to be a lifeline for the many wounded patients pouring in."

Over the past two weeks, the ICRC supplied life-saving medical materials to hospitals in Gaza City, supported bakeries in 14 displacement camps producing 45,000 loaves of bread daily, and provided water tanks, trucking services, and repairs to water and wastewater networks, according to the statement.

"Lives can still be saved today. A cessation of hostilities is imperative and urgent," the ICRC stressed, calling for protection of civilians and "rapid and unimpeded" passage of humanitarian assistance.