Israeli Forces Acknowledge Error in Striking Red Cross Facility in Gaza
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Synopsis
On March 25, 2023, the Israeli military admitted to mistakenly hitting an International Committee of the Red Cross building in Gaza due to misidentification. Despite the clear marking of the facility, no staff were injured, but the attack hampers humanitarian efforts amid escalating violence in the region.
Key Takeaways
- The Israeli military mistakenly targeted an ICRC building.
- Identification error led to the attack on the Red Cross facility.
- No injuries were reported among Red Cross staff.
- The incident negatively impacts humanitarian operations.
- Conflict escalated with renewed attacks between Israel and Hamas.
Jerusalem, March 25 (NationPress) The Israeli military has admitted to mistakenly targeting a building owned by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza due to an error in identification.
Military forces in Rafah, located in southern Gaza, fired upon the structure after they "identified suspects inside who they believed posed a threat," according to a statement from the military.
However, a later inspection determined that the identification was incorrect and that the troops were "unaware of the building's connection" to the ICRC at the time of the incident, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Earlier, the ICRC stated that their office in Rafah "sustained damage from an explosive projectile despite being clearly marked and communicated to all involved parties."
"Luckily, no personnel were harmed in this event, but it directly affects the ICRC's operational capacity. The ICRC strongly condemns this attack on its facilities," the organization said. The ICRC operates a field hospital in Rafah and other services in the Palestinian territory to treat mass casualties resulting from Israeli strikes.
Additionally, the ICRC mentioned that contact was lost on Sunday with emergency medical personnel from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, highlighting that humanitarian workers in Gaza faced fatalities and injuries last week.
Israel resumed air and ground offensives against Hamas on Tuesday, ending a two-month ceasefire, which has resulted in the deaths of over 730 Palestinians. In retaliation, Hamas launched several rockets toward Israeli territory, most of which were reportedly intercepted by Israel.
