ICRC urges Israel-Hamas deal to allow aid into Gaza

Shafaq News – Geneva

On Tuesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called on Israel and Hamas to reach a binding agreement that would grant humanitarian access to hostages in Gaza and allow critical aid deliveries.

In a statement, the ICRC pledged readiness to supply medical aid, food, and family messages, stating it is prepared to expand life-saving operations across Gaza.

With acute shortages deepening, the organization pressed for “immediate and sustained access” to food, clean water, hygiene products, and essential medical supplies, warning that Gaza’s population faces increasingly “desperate” conditions.

The plea followed new data from Gaza’s Health Ministry, which recorded eight more starvation deaths in the past 24 hours—including one child—bringing the famine-related toll to 188, half of them minors.

The ministry also updated the overall casualty count from Israel’s military campaign, launched on October 7, 2023, to 61,020 killed and 150,671 injured.