Israeli assault on Gaza Headquarters of Palestinian Red Crescent results in staff member's death
In the latest update on the Israeli attack on the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) headquarters in Khan Yunis, Gaza, an airstrike on August 3, 2025, claimed the life of one PRCS staff member named Omar Isleem and injured three others. The attack caused a fire on the building's first floor, damaging the second and ground floors as PRCS teams were evacuating and attempting to contain the fire.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have strongly condemned the attack, emphasizing the protection guaranteed under international law for humanitarian workers and facilities. The IFRC president expressed deep sorrow and outrage, noting that 51 PRCS staff and volunteers have lost their lives during the ongoing conflict, with many killed while on duty wearing the Red Crescent emblem.
The attack on the PRCS headquarters forms part of a broader pattern of attacks on civilian infrastructure and aid organizations amid the conflict in Gaza. UN agencies and human rights offices have also condemned these attacks, as they occur amid worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Relentless Israeli bombardments and blockade have pushed the region toward famine, with many Palestinians killed or injured while seeking food and aid along convoy routes.
Despite announced tactical pauses by Israel to allow aid deliveries, many humanitarian missions face challenges and impediments on the ground. The incident occurred two days after US envoy Steve Witkoff visited a US-backed aid station in Gaza.
It is unclear what the response or reaction of the Israeli government was to the attack on the PRCS headquarters in Gaza. The identity of the PRCS staff member who was killed in the attack remains unknown, as well as the extent or severity of the injuries sustained by the three PRCS staff members and the civilian who were wounded.
According to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, deemed reliable by the UN, Israel's campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 60,332 people, mostly civilians. Similarly, Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official Israeli figures.
UN agencies have warned that Gaza is "on the brink of a full-scale famine," nearly two years after the war began. The situation remains critical, with aid organizations struggling to provide essential services to the people of Gaza amid ongoing conflict and the challenges posed by Israeli military actions.
[1] Palestine Red Crescent Society: https://www.prcs.org/ [2] International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: https://www.ifrc.org/ [3] United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): https://www.ochaopt.org/ [4] International Committee of the Red Cross: https://www.icrc.org/ [5] United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA): https://www.unrwa.org/
- The general news reported that the attack on the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) headquarters in Gaza was strongly condemned by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
- The art community created a special piece to express their solidarity with the PRCS following the airstrike on their headquarters in Gaza that led to the death of one staff member, Omar Isleem, and the injury of three others.
- Despite the announced tactical pauses by Israel to allow aid deliveries, news reports suggested that humanitarian missions in Gaza continue to face challenges and impediments on the ground due to the ongoing conflict and Israeli military actions.
- Amid the war-and-conflicts in Gaza, politics played a significant role in shaping the course of events. For example, US envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to a US-backed aid station in Gaza two days prior to the incident caused further tension between the US and Israel's approach to the conflict.
