Bodies of 8 Red Crescent medics among 14 bodies recovered a week after Israeli soldiers fired at ambulances

New Delhi, March 31:The bodies of at least 14 individuals, including eight Palestinian medics, have been recovered in southern Gaza a week after Israeli forces fired on a convoy of ambulances, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) confirmed. The retrieval followed a period of "seven days of silence" and restricted access to the area in Rafah where the attack occurred, international media reported.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that the deceased included six members of Gaza’s Civil Defence agency and a United Nations employee. One PRCS medic remains missing. The attack, which took place on March 23, targeted a convoy consisting of five ambulances, a fire truck, and a UN vehicle dispatched to assist injured civilians in the al-Hashashin area as Israeli forces advanced on Rafah, international media reported.

The PRCS said the remains of its medics were retrieved from the area only after prolonged negotiations for access. UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that the staff members reached the site six days later and found a mass grave marked by an emergency light from one of the ambulances. Bodies were recovered from partially buried vehicles, while a Civil Defence worker was found beneath the wreckage of a fire truck. Many of the victims were discovered in their uniforms, wearing protective gloves, and inside clearly marked emergency vehicles.

The PRCS condemned the attack as a targeted strike on medics, reiterating that humanitarian workers and the Red Crescent emblem are protected under international humanitarian law. The IFRC, ICRC and Red Cross global family in general echoed this sentiment, expressing strong condemnation of the deaths and emphasising the critical role of first responders in conflict zones.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in response, stated that its troops had fired at several vehicles they deemed suspicious due to a lack of headlights or emergency signals. The Israeli military claimed that among those killed was a Hamas operative and militants. The IDF also asserted that some of the targeted vehicles, including ambulances and fire trucks, were allegedly used by militant groups for operational purposes. The incident has drawn renewed scrutiny over the safety of humanitarian workers in Gaza, as the conflict continues to take a devastating toll on civilians and those attempting to provide aid.