The bodies of more than a dozen humanitarian workers were recovered in southern Gaza, a week after disappearing after Israeli forces attacks, in an action that a United Nations agency described as a “serious mass attack.”
Eight of the 14 bodies recovered on Sunday (30) of the site in the southern area of Rafah were identified as members of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCs), five as a Civil Defense and one as an employee of a UN agency, PRCS said in a statement.
A society doctor remains missing.
The body of a tenth fifth person, a civil defense worker, was recovered last Thursday (27) of the place, after PRCS reported that initially was denied access to the area.
THE CNN contacted the Israeli army.
Last week, PRCS claimed that nine of its emergency medical technicians had been missing since March 23 after Israeli forces fired on ambulances and fire trucks in southern Rafah.
In response to the initial attack, the Israeli army stated that he shot ambulances and fire trucks because they were being used as coverage by Hamas and militants of the Islamic Jihad Palestinian.
Help organizations and the UN expressed outrage at the attacks, which the International Red Cross and Crescent Red Federation (FICV) claimed to be the “deadliest” for their workers in almost a decade.
“This massacre of our team is a tragedy not only for us at the Red Crescent Society of Palestine, but also for humanitarian work and humanity,” PCRs expressed in a statement, calling the attack on “a war crime” doctors under international law.
Offensives occur amidst Israel’s new attack on the territory and while its full blockade of humanitarian aid approaches the one month mark.
Buried in the sand
The UN Humanitarian Coordination Office (OCHA) reported that the bodies were recovered after a “complex one week’s rescue operation” that involved the use of excavators and heavy machinery to dig up the victims and their damaged vehicles.
“Health professionals should never be a target. And yet we are here today, digging a common ditch of rescuers and paramedics,” said Jonathan Whittall, head of the Unocha in the busy Palestinian territories at the site.
The video shared by the Unocha showed an excavator digging on the earth and moving debris while rescuers used paddles to reach the victims.
Several bodies were seen being removed from the sand, some wearing PRCs vests and showing signs of decomposition.
The first information indicates that the first team of humanitarian workers sent to the area was killed by Israeli forces on March 23 and other emergency aid teams were hit at the following hours while looking for missing colleagues, Unocha said.
“One by one, they were hit, they were hit, their bodies were gathered and buried,” said Whittall. “We are unexting them in their uniforms, with their gloves.”
Ambulances, as well as UN and Civil Defense vehicles, were found crushed and buried under the sand, Whittall added, accusing the Israeli forces of trying to cover the scene.
THE CNN contacted the Israeli army to comment.
According to the PRCS, humanitarian workers were sent to the Al-Hashashin area in Rafah on March 23 to respond to Israeli attacks when they were attacked.
“The Israeli forces shook the area, leading to the complete loss of communication with our teams,” the service said.
Hours later, the Gaza Civil Defense reported that six of its employees also disappeared after being sent to the same area after which he described as a “sudden foray from the Israeli occupation forces, the death and injury of tens and the Serce” of PRCs vehicles ”.
The Israeli army told CNN Earlier than their forces opened fire on that day against “suspicious vehicles”, including ambulances and fire trucks, which were advancing toward troops without prior coordination, use of headlights or emergency signs.
The forces claimed to have “eliminated” several Hamas and Islamic jihad militants shooting in vehicles and condemned what he claimed to be “the repeated use of civil infrastructure by Gaza’s terrorist organizations, including the use of medical facilities and ambulances for terrorist purposes.”
The attacks occurred less than a week after Israel renewed his attack on the Gaza Strip on March 18, breaking a week ceasefire with Hamas.
Since then, Israeli attacks have killed at least 921 Palestinians and injured more than two thousand others, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health controlled by Hamas.
THE CNN There is no way to verify the numbers independently and the Israeli government does not allow foreign journalists to enter Gaza independently.
The news also follows Israel’s decision before the collapse of the ceasefire of blocking the entry of humanitarian aid into the territory, in which he described as a movement to press Hamas to accept new terms for an extension of ceasefire instead of continuing with phase two of the truce.
The UN Humanitarian Coordination Office and Aid Groups accuse the Israeli government to violate international law by blocking the flow of aid for Gaza and using hunger as a weapon of war.
The same organizations accused Israel of restricting or creating obstacles to the entry of help during the war.
‘Health services must be protected’
Humanitarian and international organizations have repeatedly condemned Israeli military attacks on facilities and medical personnel.
“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 should be protected. Health services must be protected,” exclaimed Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the FICV, in a statement on Sunday (30).
Hospitals in Gaza – including the Nasser Medical Complex, the largest hospital in operation in the territory – have suffered bombing and intense attacks by Israeli forces accusing facilities of housing Hamas agents.
About 400 humanitarian workers, including teachers, doctors and nurses, were killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to the last OCHA update released on Tuesday (25).
The PRCs states that the number of its employees killed in service by Israeli forces in Gaza since October 2023 has reached 27.
“The attack of occupation to the doctors of the Red Crescent… can only be considered a punishable crime of war under the international humanitarian law, which occupation continues to violate before the eyes of the whole world,” said PCRs.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s health officials report that the death toll in Gaza since October 7 has exceeded 50,000, a dark milestone for an endless war.
This content was originally published in humanitarian employees are found dead after Israeli attack on Gaza on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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