Gaza Health Ministry urges Red Cross to ensure safety of ambulances carrying injured

GAZA CITY, Palestine

The Palestinian Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip on Friday urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to accompany a convoy of wounded people from the north to the south of the strip through the coastal Al-Rashid Street, which was bombed on Friday.

In a statement, the ministry said: “We ask the International Committee of the Red Cross to accompany the convoy of injured whose departure will coincide with the return of ambulances that have been detained in the southern Gaza Strip since yesterday.”

A number of Palestinians were killed and many others injured in an Israeli bombing on Friday that targeted ambulances in front of the main gate of the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

“There were many casualties and injuries in an Israeli strike targeting an ambulances convoy that was heading south to reach the Rafah land crossing,” Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said in a press conference at Al-Shifa Hospital.

The ministry noted: “The ambulances couldn’t move as a result of the Israeli forces targeting them and all other humanitarian crews.”

“We informed the International Committee of the Red Cross of the need to provide protection and safe passage for the injured, but it was unable to obtain the approval of Israel,” the ministry added.

The government media office in Gaza announced on Friday that a number of Palestinians were killed in an Israeli bombing targeting their convoy on the Al-Rashid coastal road.

“The number of injuries exceeded the capacity of the Al-Shifa Medical Complex,” the ministry said, noting that these patients need to be transported to hospitals in Egypt.

The Israeli army has widened its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the surprise offensive by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Nearly 10,800 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 9,227 Palestinians and more than 1,538 Israelis.

Besides the large number of casualties and displacement, basic supplies are running low for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents due to the Israeli siege.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi