By Nur Asena Erturk
ANKARA (AA) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Friday called for the respect and protection of medical facilities, patients and healthcare workers in Gaza, saying destruction because of the ongoing conflict is becoming "unbearable."
Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.
The statement came after several reported attacks in and around the compound of Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza City’s main hospital.
"The destruction affecting hospitals in Gaza is becoming unbearable and needs to stop. The lives of thousands of civilians, patients and medical staff are at risk," said William Schomburg, head of ICRC sub-delegation in Gaza.
The aid organization in a statement described the healthcare system in the Palestinian enclave as "overstretched, running on thin supplies and increasingly unsafe," which has "reached a point of no return, risking the lives of thousands of wounded, sick and displaced people."
"Any military operation around hospitals must consider the presence of civilians, who are protected under international humanitarian law," the ICRC stressed.