Red Cross says at least 22 killed after shelling near its Gaza office; IDF denies responsibility for attack
Israeli strike near Rafah tent camp (Representative image)
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that its offices in Gaza were damaged by the shelling which, according to the organisation, killed 22 people and wounded 45 others, on Friday (Jun 21) afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Hamas-run health ministry in the Palestinian enclave said at least 25 people were killed and 50 others were injured after Israeli forces shelled tent camps for displaced Palestinians outside Gaza’s southern city of Rafah on Friday.
What we know about the shelling
The ICRC said that the shelling took place near its Gaza office, which is surrounded by hundreds of displaced civilians living in tents, but did not say who fired it.
“Heavy-calibre projectiles landed within metres” of the Red Cross offices and residences, said the humanitarian organisation, in a statement, adding that it also “damaged the structure” of the ICRC base.
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“Firing so dangerously close to humanitarian structures puts the lives of civilians and humanitarians at risk,” said the Red Cross.
It also noted that this “grave security incident is one of several in recent days” as “stray bullets have reached ICRC structures” previously.
What did the health ministry say?
The Palestinian health ministry said that the Israeli forces shelled tent camps near Rafah and that the strike had “targeted the tents of the displaced in the Al-Mawasi area” which is around the ICRC base.
A report by the Associated Press citing a witness whose relatives died in one of the bombardments near a Red Cross field hospital north of Rafah said that the Israeli forces fired a second volley that killed people who came out of their tents.
Ahmed Radwan, a spokesperson for Civil Defense first responders in Rafah, citing witnesses, said that the shelling on Friday targeted two locations in a coastal area which has been filled with makeshift tents, reported the AP.
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The location mentioned by the emergency officials and that of the Red Cross hospital is said to be just outside an Israeli-designated safe zone on the Mediterranean coast, known as Muwasi, west of Rafah.
‘No indication’
A spokesperson from the Israel Defence Force (IDF) said “there is no indication that a strike was carried out by the IDF” but that the incident was “under review”. However, it did not provide any other details.
Israel, as per reports, has previously bombed locations in the vicinity of the “humanitarian zone” in Muwasi. The has also previously said that it is conducting “precise, intelligence-based” actions in the Rafah area.
(With inputs from agencies)
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.