From the Liveblog of
Thursday, August 21, 2025
Red Cross says Israel’s planned offensive in Gaza City is ‘intolerable’
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Israel’s expanded offensive aimed at conquering Gaza City and targeting the remaining Hamas strongholds in the enclave is “intolerable,” the Red Cross says.
The IDF plan, which includes the call-up of roughly 60,000 reservists, has deepened international fears that the campaign will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the Strip.
“The intensification of hostilities in Gaza means more killing, more displacement, more destruction and more panic,” Christian Cardon, chief spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), tells AFP.
“Gaza is a closed space, from which nobody can escape… and where access to health care, food and safe water is dwindling,” says Cardon. “Meanwhile, the security of humanitarians is getting worse by the hour.”
“This is intolerable,” he says.
Cardon has taken an active role in the Red Cross’s humanitarian activities on the ground, and has been involved in every exchange of the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas in the terror group’s October 7, 2023, attack.
The Red Cross has faced heavy criticism in Israel since October 7 for its failure to secure any meaningful aid for the 251 hostages taken in the attack, whether by monitoring their conditions or providing them with basic humanitarian assistance, including medicine.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.