The International Committee of the Red Cross announced that the field hospital in Rafah yesterday received 132 people with gunshot wounds near aid distribution sites, 31 of whom were killed.
This is the largest influx of casualties to the hospital since it began operating in May of last year. More than 3,400 injured people have been treated, while more than 250 deaths have been recorded.
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The committee said, "The vast majority of injuries were caused by gunfire," noting that "all of the injured were trying to reach food distribution sites."
The committee described the situation as "unacceptable," noting that the severity of these incidents "reflects the horrific conditions facing civilians in Gaza," and called for "providing the necessary medical care to the injured as quickly as possible, and allowing the rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid."
The committee emphasized that its teams are working under significant challenges to provide healthcare amid the ongoing military escalation, which is exacerbating the suffering of Gaza's residents.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a genocidal war in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.
The US-backed genocide left approximately 195,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing. Hundreds of thousands were displaced, and a famine claimed the lives of many, including dozens of children.
For its part, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees ( UNRWA ) said on Sunday that its teams are continuing their work to assist the most vulnerable groups in Gaza.
UNRWA said in a post on its Facebook page that its clinic in Gaza has seen an increase in the number of malnutrition cases since last March, when the Israeli government imposed the blockade.
"UNRWA has not been allowed to provide any humanitarian assistance since then," she added, noting that "despite the severe shortage of supplies necessary for treatment, our teams continue their work in Gaza to assist the most vulnerable, including nutritional assessments for children."
