Gaza: Paramedic still missing after aid worker killings, Palestinian Red Crescent Society calls for answers

Last Sunday, a joint PRCS and UN humanitarian coordination office (OCHA) mission uncovered a shallow grave in Rafah. The bodies of eight PRCS paramedics, six civil defence workers, and one UN staff member were found.

They had been killed by the Israeli military while attempting to reach victims of shelling on 23 March.

“They were humanitarians. They wore emblems. They should have been protected,” the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC)’s Permanent Observer, Dylan Winder, told journalists during a briefing at UN Headquarters on Friday.

Dr. Younes al-Khatib, PRCS President, confirmed that one of the team members – now identified as Assad – is still unaccounted for.

He explained that the incident was the “single most deadly attack” against Red Cross Red Crescent workers anywhere in the world since 2017.

Investigation in progress

PRCS officials said it remains unclear whether their colleague, Assad, had been killed at the scene or taken into detention.

A video recorded from one of the PRCS ambulances appears to show Israeli tanks firing on clearly marked emergency vehicles, refuting claims that the ambulances were unidentifiable or operating without sirens.

“It’s a trap,” one responder can be heard shouting in the footage, according to PRCS Vice President Marwan Jilani.

The final words of one PRCS paramedic, captured in an audio recording found on his phone, were also shared during the briefing.

“Forgive me, mom. I just wanted to help people. I wanted to save lives,” he said, moments before he was killed. His phone was discovered with his body.

Dr. al-Khatib noted that a forensic report is being prepared and will be released in due course.

PRCS officials reiterated calls for an international, independent investigation, challenging the “narrative” put forward by the Israeli Government and demanding justice for the victims and their families.

Humanitarian operations under siege

The grim discovery comes as Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepens, with all crossings still closed.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warned that thousands more families have been forced to flee westward in the Gaza Strip, following new displacement orders issued by Israeli forces in parts of Gaza City.

“These displacement orders have left civilians exposed to hostilities and deprive them of access to essential services for their basic survival,” he said, citing information from OCHA.

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), food parcel distributions are expected to end soon. Hot meal distributions continue but supplies are running low.

Meanwhile, sanitation conditions are worsening. OCHA reports infestations of fleas and mites in three makeshift displacement sites in Al-Mawasi, causing rashes and other health issues.

Treatment is impossible without the chemicals and medical supplies that remain blocked at closed border crossings.

UN humanitarian partners also report a spike in criminal looting and insecurity – a food distribution centre from the Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) and surrounding buildings were looted on Wednesday.

West Bank operations

In the West Bank, OCHA reports that tens of thousands of people remain displaced due to ongoing Israeli operations, particularly in Jenin and Tulkarm.

Mr. Dujarric noted that humanitarian partners are providing urgent assistance and psychosocial support to affected communities, but conditions continue to deteriorate.

‘Gaza cannot be left alone’

More than 220 PRCS staff have been killed over the last 50 years, noted Dr. al-Khatib, stressing: “We are looking for action.”

The PRCS leadership made five formal appeals to the international community, including an immediate ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access and an end to impunity for attacks on aid workers.

“Gaza cannot be left alone,” Dr. al-Khatib concluded. “This is a cry to our international community.”