In a tragic incident on Wednesday, an Israeli strike on an ambulance in the central Gaza Strip resulted in the deaths of six individuals, including four medics, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. The organization initially reported four fatalities but later revised the figure, stating that two individuals inside the ambulance sustained injuries and were later pronounced dead.

The targeted ambulance was on Salah al-Din Road, a significant north-south highway in Gaza. The International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies strongly condemned the attack, with its head, Jagan Chapagain, terming it “unacceptable” in a social media post. He emphasised the non-negotiable principle of protecting patients and healthcare workers, asserting that they must never be targeted.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza reported multiple casualties from an Israeli strike near a hospital in Deir al-Balah. The ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel has claimed over 23,350 lives, predominantly civilians, during more than three months of war. Before the ambulance strike, the health ministry noted the destruction of over 120 ambulances and the loss of at least 326 healthcare workers since the conflict’s onset.

The Israeli military has not yet commented on the specific incident. The toll of the conflict includes approximately 1,140 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, and 186 Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza. The situation continues to unfold as the region grapples with the devastating consequences of the prolonged conflict.