The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) expressed outrage over the deaths of eight medics from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), who were killed while on duty in Rafah, southern Gaza. 

The ambulance team came under heavy fire in the al-Hashashin area on March 23, and their bodies were only recovered a week later after access to the site was repeatedly denied. One medic remains missing.

The PRCS confirmed that the bodies of their staff were found alongside six members of Gaza's Hamas-run civil defense agency and one UN employee. 

While the PRCS did not specify who was responsible for the attack, Hamas has accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of targeting the convoy. 

The IDF has not commented on the Red Cross statement, but reports suggest the Israeli military admitted to firing on ambulances in southern Gaza, claiming they were "suspicious vehicles."

The IFRC identified the victims as ambulance officers Mostafa Khufaga, Saleh Muamer, and Ezzedine Shaath, along with first responder volunteers Mohammad Bahloul, Mohammed al-Heila, Ashraf Abu Labda, Raed al-Sharif, and Rifatt Radwan. Ambulance officer Assad Al-Nassasra remains unaccounted for.

"I am heartbroken," said IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain. "These dedicated ambulance workers were humanitarians responding to the wounded. They wore emblems that should have protected them, and their ambulances were clearly marked. Even in the most complex conflict zones, international humanitarian law is clear—civilians and health workers must be protected."

Hamas condemned the attack as a violation of the Geneva Conventions, calling it a war crime. 

The incident comes amid Israel's ongoing military offensive in Gaza, which resumed on March 18 after a ceasefire collapsed. 

The conflict, triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on southern Israel, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides.

Source: BBC

BDST: 1048 HRS, MAR 31, 2025
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