Red Cross 'outraged' after Gaza office damaged by explosive

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday that one of its bases in Gaza was damaged by an explosive, in the second such incident in three weeks.

The ICRC said on X that it was "outraged that on 16 April an ICRC premises in Gaza was struck and damaged by an explosive".

It did not say who carried out the attack. A tank shell struck another of the organisation's premises in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, where Israel is battling Hamas, on March 24.

"Both incidents occurred despite the buildings being clearly marked and regularly notified to all parties," the ICRC said.

The organisation said the strikes "highlight the risks to which civilians, medical staff and humanitarian workers in the Gaza Strip are exposed today".

"They also impact the ability of the ICRC to provide essential protection and assistance to hundreds of thousands of people who need assistance to survive and contribute to an ever-shrinking humanitarian space," it said.

"We condemn in the strongest terms any action that inhibits our ability to do our work and risks the lives of humanitarian workers."

ICRC said the repetition of the incidents clearly showed that parties to the conflict "must do much more to provide clear instruction to weapon-bearers to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian workers and their facilities".

"These are obligations under international humanitarian law."