GENEVA: A convoy of four ambulances transporting patients from Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza arrived at the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt on Monday. They were accompanied by two International Committee of the Red Cross vehicles. “It is an immense relief to know that these patients are safe and will receive urgent medical care,” said William Schomburg, head of the ICRC office in Gaza. “I can’t emphasize enough how crucial it is that hospitals, medical personnel and patients are protected amid this violence. There are thousands of critically injured people in Gaza. It is an obligation under international humanitarian law to spare them from harm.” Other than the Rafah crossing, entry points into Gaza have been blocked since the conflict between Hamas and Israel began last month. While there has been a steady increase in the amount of humanitarian aid entering the besieged territory, the UN World Food Program warned on Sunday it is nowhere near enough to meet needs that are growing exponentially. As the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to rapidly deteriorate, the ICRC issued an urgent call for all involved in the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and do everything in their power to avoid any harm to medical personnel, facilities and vehicles. Thousands of critically wounded civilians are no longer able to access medical care because hospitals are increasingly unable to function due to damage from the fighting and a lack of supplies as a result of the blockade, it added. “Accepting violence against healthcare facilities now, when their role is so critical, will come at an unacceptable cost in human life,” Schomburg said. “The wounded and sick must be protected in all circumstances.”