Israeli aircraft raids in the western part of Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip, have led to fatalities and injuries on Tuesday. According to Arab media reports, a deceased individual was brought to the Emirati Hospital as a result of a bombing in the Al-Barakasat area, which came under Israeli attack.
On Tuesday, the Gaza Ministry of Health issued a statement indicating that both the Indonesian field hospital and the Tal Al-Sultan Clinic in Rafah were no longer operational. The situation has left only the Tal Al-Sultan Maternity Hospital struggling to provide essential services to patients in the area.
The Ministry of Health urgently appealed to international institutions to ensure the protection of all hospitals, health teams, and ambulances from the oppression and aggression of the Israeli occupying forces.
Additionally, the Ministry reported that the Israeli occupation forces carried out five massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, resulting in 46 deaths and 110 injuries within the past 24 hours. The toll of aggression since 7 October has now reached 36,096 deaths and 81,136 injuries.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) revealed that approximately one million people have fled Rafah in southern Gaza over the past three weeks. These displaced individuals face dire conditions, including a lack of safe places, food and water shortages, and unsuitable living environments. Providing assistance and protection has become increasingly challenging.
On the same day, the General Directorate of Civil Defense in Gaza reported that its crews in Rafah encountered three attacks while carrying out their duties. Quadcopter planes opened fire on the crews near the Zoroub roundabout at one in the morning. Subsequently, the crews faced occupation sniper fire in the Al-Najili station area, west of Rafah. The front windshield of an ambulance vehicle was damaged during these incidents. Artillery shells were also fired at the crews, who were assisting wounded individuals from the Abu Taha family near the Zorob roundabout.
The Civil Defence Directorate strongly condemned the deliberate targeting of its humanitarian crews, emphasizing that such actions violate international laws and norms. The loss of civilian lives, especially during displacement, underscores the urgency for international institutions and the Chairperson of the International Committee for Civil Protection and Civil Defence to intervene and protect these essential responders during distress calls from citizens.
