European Union Foreign Policy Coordinator Josep Borrell called on Saturday for an independent investigation and holding the perpetrators accountable after an Israeli bombing that targeted the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip, while Jordan condemned the targeting and demanded that Belgium stop killing civilians in the Strip.
Borrell said the Red Cross must be able to safely carry out all its duties under the Geneva Conventions, including humanitarian protection, assistance to victims, and access to prisoners.
For her part, Belgian Foreign Minister Hajja Lahbib said that the losses among civilians in the Gaza Strip and the ongoing violence are unacceptable, commenting on the Israeli occupation’s targeting of the vicinity of the International Committee of the Red Cross office in Gaza, resulting in the death and injury of dozens.
Lahbib also called for an immediate ceasefire and the release of detainees.
Jordanian conviction
In Jordan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Israeli bombing of the vicinity of the International Committee of the Red Cross office in Gaza, calling for immediate and effective international action to ensure the protection of civilians and relief facilities.
It affirmed the Kingdom’s condemnation and absolute rejection of Israel’s continued violation of the rules of international law and international humanitarian law, targeting civilians and the headquarters of relief organizations and their workers, and endangering their lives.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry considered this a flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention for the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949, and a practice that reflects the absence of accountability and impunity.
Dozens of victims
Yesterday, Friday, the Israeli army targeted the vicinity of the Red Cross office in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, killing 22 Palestinians and wounding 45 others.
The Red Cross Committee said that heavy-caliber projectiles fell a few meters from its office in Rafah, confirming that the strike caused material damage to the office, which is surrounded by hundreds of displaced people living in tents.
Since last October 7, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza with absolute American support, leaving more than 123,000 Palestinians martyred and wounded, in addition to thousands of missing people.
Israel continues its war despite two UN Security Council resolutions to stop it immediately, and orders from the International Court of Justice to end the invasion of the city of Rafah, take measures to prevent acts of genocide, and improve the tragic humanitarian situation in Gaza.