Palestine Red Crescent suspends medical missions

As the Israeli army continues to target ambulances in the Gaza Strip, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has announced that it is suspending all humanitarian coordination procedures for medical missions in the Gaza Strip for the next 48 hours, due to the inability to guarantee the safety of the wounded and patients.

In a written statement issued by the Palestine Red Crescent, it was reported that this decision was taken as a result of Israeli forces failing to respect the procedures and coordination mechanisms agreed upon with United Nations agencies.

"HEALTHCARE WORKERS ARE BEING OBSTRUCTED"

The statement noted that yesterday evening, teams affiliated with the Palestine Red Crescent, in coordination with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), evacuated a number of patients from Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis to hospitals in Rafah due to their urgent need for advanced surgical medical intervention, emphasizing that OCHA had received approval from Israeli forces for this evacuation.

The statement further expressed that despite Israeli forces approving the evacuation and being aware of the convoy's route as well as the names and identification numbers of the personnel accompanying the patients, they held the convoy for more than 7 hours. It was stated that healthcare personnel were subjected to ill-treatment, 3 health workers were arrested, and one was released hours later.

Emphasizing that this incident was not the first of its kind, the statement highlighted that Israel has previously targeted ambulances, prevented aid convoys from reaching specific areas in the Gaza Strip, particularly the north, and detained healthcare workers.