The headquarters of the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) located in the Gaza Strip was hit in shelling by Israeli forces today. 

In a post on Twitter, QRCS shared pictures of the destruction and stated that the shelling resulted in two deaths and 10 wounded Palestinians.  

In a tweet, QRCS condemned the attack and said it was a violation of international humanitarian law. It affirmed that it would continue to provide relief aid to people affected by the Israeli aggression in Gaza Strip, in cooperation with the Palestinian Red Crescent. 

The downing of the QRCS headquarters comes amid a barrage of air strikes being carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip. The overall death toll in the territory now stands at 200, including 59 children and 35 women, with 1,305 injured, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. 

H.E Ambassador Ali bin Hassan al-Hammadi, Secretary-General of the QRCS, stated that the grave violation of the Qatar Red Crescent Office in Gaza was a flagrant violation of the various charters, customs and conventions of Geneva and its additional protocols under the 1951 ratification by Israel, but serious violation of the QRCS’s office, which operates under the umbrella of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, is a violation against the crews. Medical and humanitarian action, which is internationally recognized, may amount to war crimes and also crimes against humanity.

QRCS reminds all parties of the international community and the humanitarian movement of the need to abide by the principles and provisions of international humanitarian law, particularly in the circumstances of armed conflicts. The QRCS condemns the targeting of its office in Gaza, while stressing the need for relief teams to continue their work in accordance with the International Humanitarian Law, noting that the targeting of QRCS’s office is a violation of international humanitarian law, and stresses its continued humanitarian functions and the provision of relief assistance to those affected in Gaza in cooperation with the Palestinian Red Crescent.