Israel said Saturday it was investigating an airstrike in Muwasi, in the southern Gaza Strip, after the International Committee of the Red Cross said that “heavy-caliber” projectiles fell meters away from an office and residences for the aid group.
The strike killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens of others who were then taken to a nearby field hospital, the Red Cross said.
William Schomburg, leader of the Red Cross operation in Gaza, did not blame the Israeli military or Hamas but said all parties to the conflict were aware of the Red Cross’ buildings south of a zone designated as “safer” for displaced Palestinians fleeing fighting in Gaza.
“We’re not here to lay blame,” Schomburg said, adding that his focus was on how to best respond to the episode and how to avoid it from happening again. The Red Cross strives to remain neutral in conflicts in an effort to be able to provide aid to those who need it.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it did not carry out a direct attack against a Red Cross facility. It did not say whether it had struck elsewhere in the area.
“The incident will be quickly examined, and its findings will be presented to our international partners,” the military said in a statement Saturday.
Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, Israeli military officials have repeatedly accused Hamas fighters of hiding within the civilian population.
Describing the macabre scene in the aftermath of Friday’s strike, Schomburg said there were three large explosions that left “piles of dead bodies” and “blood everywhere.” He added that the Red Cross team in Rafah had collected body parts scattered in the area.
“Frankly, it’s nothing like I have ever seen before,” Schomburg told reporters in an online news briefing Saturday.
Josep Borrell, a top diplomat from the European Union, condemned the attack and called for an independent investigation. He said those responsible should be held accountable.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
