ICRC: The humanitarian situation in Gaza and the West Bank continues to deteriorate.

The Red Cross field hospital in Gaza received more than 370 patients in a short period of time today and yesterday, many of whom were shot while trying to reach a food distribution center, a worrying indicator of the continued dangers facing civilians and the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

Medical sources at the hospital stated that it received more than 200 cases today, the highest number recorded since its establishment, due to a single mass casualty incident.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expressed its deep concern over the rapidly deteriorating capacity of the Gaza Strip's healthcare system, particularly in light of the evacuation orders threatening the Nasser Medical Complex, which further complicates the provision of healthcare to the injured and sick.

The committee noted that "the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate sharply, with civilians being killed and injured daily as a result of intensified hostilities, while their suffering is exacerbated by ongoing restrictions on the flow of humanitarian aid, leading to significant difficulties in obtaining basic needs, such as fuel, water, and food."

The International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement that "protecting civilians during armed conflict is, under international humanitarian law, a legal and moral obligation, and parties to a conflict must exercise the utmost care to avoid harming civilians and civilian objects. However, the reality in Gaza, which has been ongoing for more than twenty months, shows that civilians continue to pay the heaviest price for this ongoing conflict."

The ICRC stressed the need for immediate and rapid access for unimpeded humanitarian aid, including food, water, medicines, and medical supplies, while ensuring that the wounded and sick receive the urgent care they need.

The committee also renewed its call for respecting and protecting medical, relief, and civil defense workers, given the many deaths and injuries that have occurred in the Gaza Strip over the past few months.

The committee added that the situation in the West Bank is no less dire, where civilians continue to suffer as a result of the destruction of homes and farms, and violence against villages and their residents, amid ongoing restrictions affecting the availability of fuel, restricting the movement of emergency services, and impeding access to healthcare. Thousands of people remain forcibly displaced, amid worsening economic and social challenges.

The International Committee of the Red Cross stressed that even under occupation, the right of civilians to live as normal a life as possible must be respected, with their dignity preserved, their basic needs met, and their human rights respected.