The EU’s top diplomat has called for immediate pauses to the fighting in the Gaza Strip to enable the evacuation of hospital patients who require urgent medical care, saying the bloc was gravely concerned about the humanitarian crisis there, Reuters reports.

“These hostilities are severely impacting hospitals and taking a horrific toll on civilians and medical staff,” European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.

“Hospitals must (…) be supplied immediately with the most urgent medical supplies, and patients that require urgent medical care need to be evacuated safely,” he added. “In this context, we urge Israel to exercise maximum restraint to ensure the protection of civilians.”