While the world watches with horror at the devastation caused by Hamas and Israeli forces, there are those on the ground trying to save lives – but a spokesperson for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) told CGTN that things are getting worse.

"The situation has deteriorated a lot – my Palestine Crescent colleagues who are currently in Gaza use the word 'catastrophic,'" said IFRC spokesperson Tommaso Della Longa.

"We are witnessing a hospital with fuel possibly for a day more, where at the moment some sectors of the hospital are without electricity – the electricity is only in the sectors that need it the most, like ICU and incubators for the babies."

Describing "a situation where there is no medicine, scarce food and water - all the stocks are running out," Della Longa insisted "our main concern is to get safe and unhindered access to get to the Gaza Strip and, of course, to the protection of civilians and healthcare workers."

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That unhindered access is perhaps most likely to come via the Rafah crossing on the Gaza-Egypt border – the only entry point not controlled by Israeli authorities. However, Egypt says that while the crossing has not been officially closed, it has become inoperable due to Israeli air strikes on the Gaza side.

"We know that at the Rafah border with Egypt, there is a long queue of trucks and different agencies, including ours – the Red Cross and Crescent network has humanitarian aid waiting there," Della Longa told CGTN. "Our call to all the parties [is] to give safe and unhindered access. The Egyptian Red Crescent teams are bringing aid to the border, and Palestine Crescent is ready to receive it – but of course we need to have a green light. Without safety, nothing is possible."

Della Longa paid tribute to health aid workers who remain in Gazan hospitals despite Israeli evacuation orders.  

"In the Gaza City Hospital, there are hundreds of people who took refuge because they believe that a hospital is the safest place," he said. "Palestine Crescent teams decided to refuse to leave them, even if they were asked to evacuate the hospital three times, and they are still there. And their message is crystal clear: They don't want to leave behind patients."

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