UN Reports: Israeli Forces Kill 15 Palestinian Medics in Gaza
Palestinians mourn the medics found in a mass grave after being allegedly killed by Israeli troops, prompting international concern.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: On Monday, Palestinians held funerals for 15 medics and emergency responders who were reportedly killed by Israeli troops in southern Gaza.
Their bodies, along with damaged ambulances, were discovered buried in a mass grave, apparently disturbed by Israeli military equipment.
The Palestinian Red Crescent accused Israeli forces of targeting these medical workers, stating they were marked as humanitarian personnel and labeling the incident as an act of violence carried out in cold blood.
According to the Israeli military, troops fired on vehicles that approached suspiciously, lacking proper identification.
The fatalities included eight workers from the Palestinian Red Crescent, six members from Gaza’s Civil Defense, and a staff member from UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees.
The International Red Cross/Red Crescent has described this as the deadliest incident affecting its personnel in eight years.
Reports indicate that the paramedics and emergency teams have been missing since March 23, when they attempted to retrieve casualties following an Israeli offensive in the Tel Al-Sultan area of Rafah.
The Israeli military had earlier ordered an evacuation in the area, claiming Hamas militants were operating there, leading to a situation where emergency responders were allegedly surrounded by Israeli troops.
The UN stated that information suggests the first team was killed on the same day they were reported missing.
Subsequent emergency teams that sought to assist the first group were reportedly struck over several hours.
Israeli forces claimed that fire was directed at vehicles perceived as threats, although no militants were identified among the deceased emergency workers.
As the hostilities intensified following a ceasefire that ended on March 18, Israeli airstrikes and ground operations reportedly resulted in over 1,000 Palestinian fatalities, as indicated by Gaza's Health Ministry.
Humanitarian workers have faced increasing risks, with incidents involving attacks on ambulances and humanitarian staff.
For example, a worker from World Central Kitchen was killed by an Israeli strike near a site distributing food, while a UN compound was struck, resulting in the death of another aid worker.
After days of restricted access to the sites where the emergency personnel disappeared, the UN reported that it was eventually informed by the Israeli military about the location of the buried bodies.
This prompted a UN convoy to attempt retrieval, which was met with gunfire from Israeli troops.
Following these events, UN officials were able to reach the area, where they discovered bodies buried beneath dirt piles moved by military bulldozers, with footage showing the recovery of multiple bodies.
The media also captured images of emergency staff in uniforms engaged in the recovery operations, emphasizing the tragic nature of the recovery of individuals explicitly designated for life-saving assistance.
Funerals were held for the deceased medics, drawing significant public mourning, as families gathered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to honor their losses.
Israeli sources reported that since the beginning of the conflict, at least 30 Red Crescent medics have been killed.
This includes earlier incidents where efforts were made to rescue civilians under fire.
The head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies highlighted that humanitarian workers possess legal protections that must be upheld in armed conflicts, reaffirming the necessity for the protection of all humanitarian personnel.
Their bodies, along with damaged ambulances, were discovered buried in a mass grave, apparently disturbed by Israeli military equipment.
The Palestinian Red Crescent accused Israeli forces of targeting these medical workers, stating they were marked as humanitarian personnel and labeling the incident as an act of violence carried out in cold blood.
According to the Israeli military, troops fired on vehicles that approached suspiciously, lacking proper identification.
The fatalities included eight workers from the Palestinian Red Crescent, six members from Gaza’s Civil Defense, and a staff member from UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees.
The International Red Cross/Red Crescent has described this as the deadliest incident affecting its personnel in eight years.
Reports indicate that the paramedics and emergency teams have been missing since March 23, when they attempted to retrieve casualties following an Israeli offensive in the Tel Al-Sultan area of Rafah.
The Israeli military had earlier ordered an evacuation in the area, claiming Hamas militants were operating there, leading to a situation where emergency responders were allegedly surrounded by Israeli troops.
The UN stated that information suggests the first team was killed on the same day they were reported missing.
Subsequent emergency teams that sought to assist the first group were reportedly struck over several hours.
Israeli forces claimed that fire was directed at vehicles perceived as threats, although no militants were identified among the deceased emergency workers.
As the hostilities intensified following a ceasefire that ended on March 18, Israeli airstrikes and ground operations reportedly resulted in over 1,000 Palestinian fatalities, as indicated by Gaza's Health Ministry.
Humanitarian workers have faced increasing risks, with incidents involving attacks on ambulances and humanitarian staff.
For example, a worker from World Central Kitchen was killed by an Israeli strike near a site distributing food, while a UN compound was struck, resulting in the death of another aid worker.
After days of restricted access to the sites where the emergency personnel disappeared, the UN reported that it was eventually informed by the Israeli military about the location of the buried bodies.
This prompted a UN convoy to attempt retrieval, which was met with gunfire from Israeli troops.
Following these events, UN officials were able to reach the area, where they discovered bodies buried beneath dirt piles moved by military bulldozers, with footage showing the recovery of multiple bodies.
The media also captured images of emergency staff in uniforms engaged in the recovery operations, emphasizing the tragic nature of the recovery of individuals explicitly designated for life-saving assistance.
Funerals were held for the deceased medics, drawing significant public mourning, as families gathered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to honor their losses.
Israeli sources reported that since the beginning of the conflict, at least 30 Red Crescent medics have been killed.
This includes earlier incidents where efforts were made to rescue civilians under fire.
The head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies highlighted that humanitarian workers possess legal protections that must be upheld in armed conflicts, reaffirming the necessity for the protection of all humanitarian personnel.
