The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, on
Monday called for “justice and answers” after Israeli forces killed eight
Palestinian medics, six civil defence first responders and a UN staff member in
an attack in Southern Gaza.
The clearly identified humanitarian workers from the
Palestine Red Crescent Society, Palestinian Civil Defence and the UN had been
despatched to collect injured people on March 23 in the Rafah area of Southern
Gaza when they were attached.
They came under fire from Israeli forces who were
advancing in the area, Jonathan Whittall, the UN aid coordination office’s
(OCHA), top official in the Palestinian Occupied Territory stated in a post on
X.
Whittall said that on the day of the attack, five
ambulances, a fire truck – and a clearly marked UN vehicle which arrived
following the initial assault – were all hit by Israeli fire, after which
contact was lost with teams.
“One survivor said Israeli forces had killed both of
the crew in his ambulance. For days, OCHA coordinated to reach the site but our
access was only granted five days later,” Whittall said.
When UN staff then travelled to the area they
encountered hundreds of civilians fleeing under Israeli fire.
“We witnessed a woman shot in the back of the head.
When a young man tried to retrieve her, he too was shot. We were able to
recover her body using our UN vehicle,” he added.
He said aid workers were finally able to reach the
site on Sunday, discovering “a devastating scene: ambulances, the UN vehicle,
and a fire truck had been crushed and partially buried.
“After hours of digging, we recovered one body – a
civil defence worker beneath his fire truck.”
The Palestine Red Crescent Society – part of the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies – expressed
outrage on Sunday over the deaths, adding that a ninth staff member is still
missing.
“These dedicated ambulance workers were responding to
wounded people…They wore emblems that should have protected them; their
ambulances were clearly marked.
“They should have returned to their families: they did
not,” IFRC Secretary General, Jagan Chapagain, said.
“Even in the most complex conflict zones, there are
rules,” he added. “These rules of International Humanitarian Law could not
clearer – civilians must be protected; humanitarians must be protected. Health
services must be protected.”
The incident represents the most deadly attack on Red
Crescent Red Cross workers since 2017.
Israeli forces said the emergency responders had been
fired on after their vehicles “advanced suspiciously”, according to news
reports, adding that a Hamas operative had been killed along with “eight other
terrorists”.
The attack occurred following the collapse of the
fragile two-month ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas militants on March
18.
On Monday, Israel issued a new mass evacuation order
for the whole of the Rafah region.
OCHA’s Jonathan Whittall reiterated on Sunday that
first responders should never be a target.
“Today, on the first day of Eid, we returned and
recovered the buried bodies…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,” he stated.
The UN Humanitarian Affairs chief, Tom Fletcher, on
Monday send condolences to the families of all who had been killed
“They were killed by Israeli forces while trying to
save lives. We demand answers
and justice,” he said.
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