Importance Score: 78 / 100 🔴
International Red Cross Condemns Fatalities of Palestinian Medics in Gaza
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has voiced its strong “indignation” following the deaths of eight Palestinian paramedics, alongside six Civil Defence first responders and a United Nations staff member, allegedly by Israeli forces in southern Gaza earlier this month. This tragic incident has sparked international concern and heightened tensions in the region, drawing attention to the safety of humanitarian aid workers in conflict zones.
Details of the Incident
According to a UN official, five ambulances and a fire engine en route to assist injured individuals, as well as a UN vehicle, were struck in the al-Hashashin area on March 23. This occurred as Israeli forces advanced towards the city of Rafah. Fifteen bodies were recovered on Sunday from what the official described as a “devastating scene.”
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that a ninth medic remained missing and accused Israeli forces of deliberately targeting personnel engaged in humanitarian operations.
In response, the Israeli military stated that its troops fired upon several vehicles that were “moving suspiciously” without headlights or emergency signals. They claimed that a Hamas operative and “eight other terrorists” were among those killed.
IFRC and PRCS Statements
The IFRC issued a statement on Sunday confirming that the bodies of eight PRCS medics were retrieved “after seven days of silence and denial of access to the Rafah area where they were last seen.”
The organisation identified the deceased as ambulance officers Mostafa Khufaga, Saleh Muamer, and Ezzedine Shaath, and first responder volunteers Mohammad Bahloul, Mohammed al-Heila, Ashraf Abu Labda, Raed al-Sharif, and Rifatt Radwan.
They further stated that ambulance officer Assad al-Nassasra remained “still missing.”
“I am heartbroken,” said IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain. “These committed ambulance workers were responding to wounded people. They were humanitarian personnel.”
“They wore emblems that should have protected them; their ambulances were clearly marked,” Chapagain added.
“Even in the most complex conflict zones, there are rules. These rules of International Humanitarian Law could not be clearer – civilians must be protected; humanitarian workers must be protected. Health services must be protected.”
UNOCHA’s Account
Jonathan Whittall, head of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza, reported on social media platform X that OCHA staff assisted the PRCS and Civil Defence in recovering bodies from “a mass grave… marked with the emergency light from one of their crushed ambulances.”
He added that OCHA personnel were able to reach the site only after six days, discovering the partially buried vehicles and recovering the body of a Civil Defence worker beneath the fire truck.
“Today, on the first day of Eid, we returned and recovered the buried bodies of 8 PRCS, 6 Civil Defence and 1 UN staff. They were killed in their uniforms. Driving their clearly marked vehicles. Wearing their gloves. On their way to save lives. This should never have happened,” Whittall stated.
The PRCS expressed its devastation at the “massacre of our team.”
A PRCS statement asserted, “[Israel’s] targeting of Red Crescent medics, despite the protected status of their mission and the Red Crescent emblem, can only be considered a war crime punishable under international humanitarian law.”
IDF’s Response and Account
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that during an operation in southern Gaza on March 23, “several vehicles were identified moving suspiciously toward IDF troops without headlights, or emergency signals, their movement was not co-ordinated in advance. Thus, IDF troops opened fire at the suspected vehicles.”
“Following an initial assessment, it was determined that the forces had eliminated a Hamas military operative, Mohammad Amin Ibrahim Shubaki, along with eight other terrorists from Hamas and the PIJ [Palestinian Islamic Jihad],” the IDF added.
“Following the strike, the IDF co-ordinated with international organisations to facilitate the evacuation of the bodies.”
An earlier IDF statement regarding the incident indicated that an initial inquiry found “some of the suspicious vehicles that were moving towards the troops were ambulances and fire trucks.” It also condemned what it termed the “repeated use of civilian infrastructure by terrorist organisations.”
The IDF has not issued any comment on the whereabouts of the missing PRCS medic.
Condemnation from Hamas
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim denounced the attack.
“The targeted killing of rescue workers – who are protected under international humanitarian law – constitutes a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions and a war crime,” he stated.
Context of Rafah Operations
The incident in al-Hashashin occurred on the same day the IDF announced its troops had encircled the Tel al-Sultan area of Rafah and raided what they described as a Hamas command-and-control center there.
On Monday, the IDF issued a broad new evacuation order for the entire Rafah region, instructing all residents to proceed to the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone for their safety.
The IDF’s Arabic spokesperson warned of “returning to fight with great force to eliminate the capabilities of terrorist organizations in these areas.”
Israel initiated its first major operation in Rafah last May, causing extensive damage. However, tens of thousands of residents returned to their homes in the city during the recent ceasefire.
Israel resumed its aerial bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza on March 18 after the ceasefire’s initial phase concluded and negotiations for a second phase stalled.
At least 921 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the territory.
The conflict began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in about 1,200 deaths and 251 people taken hostage to Gaza.
The Israeli military launched a campaign to defeat Hamas in response, during which more than 50,270 people have been killed, according to the Gaza health ministry.