Asger Risom
UN officials and humanitarian agencies denounce the killing of medics as a breach of international law and human dignity.
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In conflict zones, the symbols of neutrality — ambulances, red crescents, and UN logos — are meant to offer protection to those who serve on the humanitarian front lines. But in southern Gaza, that expectation appears to have been shattered. A recent United Nations report has revealed the alleged execution and mass burial of Palestinian rescue workers by Israeli forces, adding to the intensifying scrutiny of military actions in the region.
Fifteen Medics Killed During Rescue Mission
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 15 Palestinian medics — eight from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), six from Civil Defense, and one UN staffer — were shot and killed one by one in the Tel al-Sultan district of Rafah on March 23.
The incident, which took place on March 23, happened only a day after the Israeli offensive resumed in the area near the Egyptian border.
Another Red Crescent worker on a mission is reported missing.
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“Seven days ago, civil defense and PRCS ambulances arrived on the scene,” said the head of Ocha in Palestine, Jonathan Whittall, as quoted by The Guardian.
The team had been responding to an earlier Israeli airstrike when their clearly marked vehicles came under fire.
Humanitarian officials stated that the medics were wearing uniforms and gloves, suggesting they were engaged in active rescue efforts. Their bodies were later discovered in a shallow grave, with some reportedly showing signs of being restrained before death.
Israel’s Response and Conflicting Accounts
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged firing on vehicles they described as “moving suspiciously” without lights or emergency markings, claiming the incident occurred in an “active combat zone” and that no prior coordination had been established for their movement.
However, the PRCS disputed this, saying the area was deemed safe at the time and that coordination was not required. They also accused IDF forces of blocking recovery efforts for several days. A medical staff member claimed to have overheard soldiers speaking in Hebrew during a live phone call with a wounded colleague, discussing how to restrain survivors.
International Condemnation and Humanitarian Impact
Jonathan Whittall, head of OCHA in Palestine, condemned the killings and described the burial site as containing medical vehicles, including a UN-marked car, all buried under sand by what he said was an Israeli bulldozer. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), called the mass grave “a profound violation of human dignity.”
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) stated that the incident marked the deadliest attack on its personnel in nearly a decade. In total, more than 1,060 healthcare workers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, which began in October 2023 following the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel.
As tensions mount and international calls for independent investigations grow louder, the tragic loss of these medics underscores the increasingly perilous conditions for humanitarian workers in Gaza — and raises urgent questions about the protection of those who risk their lives to save others.
