Jordan condemns Israeli attacks on Palestinian refugees near ICRC office in Gaza

AMMAN, Jordan

Jordan on Saturday condemned the Israeli army for shelling near the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office in Gaza, which also hit the Geneva-based humanitarian group facility, calling for an “immediate and effective” international action to protect civilians and relief organizations’ facilities.

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning "in the strongest terms the continued systematic and ongoing targeting by Israeli occupation forces of civilians and relief facilities in the Gaza Strip.

“The latest incident was an Israeli shelling near the International Committee of the Red Cross office on Friday, which resulted in dozens of casualties and injuries and damaged the organization's headquarters.”

The Foreign Ministry considered the attack as "a flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention for the protection of civilians in time of war of 1949, and a practice reflecting the absence of accountability and impunity."

It called for “the necessity of immediate and effective action by the international community and international organizations and bodies, especially the UN Security Council, to ensure the protection of civilians and relief facilities that provide vital support to the Palestinian brothers."

The ICRC office in Gaza, which is surrounded by hundreds of displaced civilians, was damaged by shelling, the group said Friday.

Heavy-caliber projectiles landed meters away from the ICRC's office and residences late Friday, according to the organization, which did not identify who was responsible.

“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,” it said in a statement.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

More than 37,500 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and nearly 86,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

More than eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala