The president of Palestinian Red Crescent (Palestine Red Crescent Society) Younis Al Khatib met on Saturday Papa Francesco in Vatican, in a closed-door hearing which was held around 9am. The Pontiff and Al Khatib discussed the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is conducting a vast military ground operation in response to the Hamas Jihad massacre Islamic on October 7th. The focus of the one-hour conversation was in particular on the difficult humanitarian conditions of the Palestinians camped in Rafah. In the area at the extreme south of the Strip, where the crossing with Egypt is located, they found refuge beyond 1.5 million displaced.
The director of the Palestinian humanitarian organization had not met the Pope since 2018 and until now had never been received in a private audience. The meeting between the two was facilitated by the president of the Lazio Region Francesco Rocca, former president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent, who accompanied Al Khatib to the Vatican.
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“We asked the Pope to continue praying for the Palestinian people. His moral strength is what we need. When the Pope says something, people listen to him, not only Christians, but all peoples. His words can do a lot†, he said to Done Al Khatib. The president of the Red Crescent also reported to the Pope the difficulties encountered by the medical staff operating in the hospital Al-Amal di Khan Younis, surrounded in the last week by the Israeli military, who also arrested 9 staff members, as well as the director who was later released after interrogation. The Palestinian Red Crescent is associated with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in the State of Palestine and is operational with doctors, paramedics and volunteers in West Bank (headquarters are in Ramallah), East Jerusalem, and Gaza.
In the Strip under attack by the Israeli army, the organization in particular is managing the hospital Al-Amal of Khan Younis, which for weeks has been the scene of intense IDF ground operations aimed at flushing out the Hamas militiamen. The organization denounced the shortage of blood units for transfusions and the absence of neonatologists and anesthesiologists, after one of them was arrested by the IDF during a raid inside the hospital. ™hospital following which, on Monday, the director of the health facility was also arrested. According to the IDF, 20 militiamen were hiding in the hospital Hamas. In the previous days, the Israeli army had blocked access and deliveries of medical supplies, food and fuel to health facilities, according to complaints. Israeli forces conducted a raid on Thursday on the nearby Nasser medical complex in Khan Younis. Raid stigmatized by the spokesperson of the United Nations Office for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani. Israeli forces reportedly ordered the transfer of all patients, including those in intensive care units and nurseries, to another building, exposing patients to serious risks, including the risk of death for the most vulnerable.
The Red Crescent health workers have been accused several times by the Israeli forces of collaborating with or providing protection to Islamist militiamen. Again on Friday, the Palestinian Red Crescent rejected the accusations of having given medical assistance with an ambulance to armed men dressed in black, which the IDF substantiated with a video published on social media.
“The Palestinian Red Crescent Society states that the medical team and ambulance shown in the video do not belong to PRCS.” PRCS teams and volunteers are committed to respecting the humanitarian principles of the Red Crescent Movement, they add, including that of neutrality and impartiality of medical care.
????With regard to the video circulating showing a wounded fighter receiving medical assistance, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) affirms that the medical team and the ambulance shown in the video are not of PRCS.
The PRCS teams and volunteers are committed to abiding by⦗ PRCS (@PalestineRCS) February 16, 2024
No, it’s not a PRCS ambulance. This ambulance belongs to the MMS (Military Medical Services) اÙخد٠ات اÙطبÙØ© اÙعسÙرÙØ© اÙتابعة ÙÙزارة اÙداخÙÙØ© ÙÙ ØÙÙÙ Ø© Ø٠اسand equally the medical team. pic.twitter.com/7L745jsCSv
— Hamzé Attar (@hamzattar) February 16, 2024
Meanwhile at the Rafah crossing the passages in both directions continue slowly: of people leaving and aid for the Palestinian population entering. On Saturday morning they entered Egypt 40 injured with 37 companions, 133 Egyptians and 250 people with dual nationality. While 75 trucks of humanitarian, medical and food aid and 5 fuel tankers entered Gaza, 4 of which were domestic gas, all delivered allâUnrwa and to Crescent moon Rossa locale on the Palestinian side of the crossing Rafah. Another 150 trucks carrying humanitarian, medical and food supplies were lined up for Israeli inspection at the Al-Awja and Karam Abou Salem border crossings.
Humanitarian conditions have become increasingly dire, with continued reports of people stopping aid trucks. Friday in the border area between Rafah e Egypt Some disturbances broke out between Hamas security forces and displaced people in the area. Israeli and Palestinian media published a series of videos on social media showing people running inside the Palestinian side of the Gaza crossing, with gunfire and fire. Israeli channel Channel 12 later reported that the unrest erupted after a Gazan teenager was killed by Hamas police while trying to collect humanitarian aid. According to United Nations officials cited by the Times of Israeldisplaced Palestinians have already begun to flee Rafah and are reportedly moving towards the central areas around Deir al-Balah.