The bodies of 14 aid workers were recovered in southern Gaza, a week after they went missing following an attack by Israeli forces, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS).
Eight of the victims were PRCS members, five were civil defense workers, and one was a UN agency employee. Another PRCS medic remains missing. A 15th body, also a civil defense worker, was found last week after PRCS was initially denied access to the site.
PRCS reported that nine of its emergency workers went missing on March 23 after Israeli forces fired on ambulances and fire trucks in Rafah. The Israeli military claimed the vehicles were used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants as cover.
Humanitarian groups condemned the attack. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent called it the “single most deadly” incident for its workers in nearly a decade.
“This massacre of our team is a tragedy not only for us at the Palestine Red Crescent Society but also for humanitarian work and humanity,” PRCS said, calling the attack a “war crime” under international law.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) described the site as a “mass grave”, saying bodies were recovered after a week-long rescue operation using bulldozers.
“Health workers should never be a target. And yet, we’re here today, digging up a mass grave of first responders and paramedics,” said Jonathan Whittall of UNOCHA.
Footage showed emergency responders using shovels to recover bodies, some still in PRCS vests, with vehicles crushed and buried under the sand.
According to OCHA, the first aid team was killed on March 23, and subsequent responders were struck while searching for their missing colleagues.
“One by one, they were hit, they were struck, their bodies were gathered and buried,” Whittall said.
CNN has contacted the Israeli military for comment.
The attack occurred as Israel intensified its assault on Gaza and blocked humanitarian aid for nearly a month. The Gaza Ministry of Health reports that over 50,000 people have been killed since October 7, 2023.
Israel has also targeted hospitals, claiming they harbor Hamas operatives. Aid groups accuse Israel of violating international law by restricting humanitarian assistance and using starvation as a weapon of war.
“Even in the most complex conflict zones, there are rules,” said Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the IFRC. “Civilians must be protected; humanitarians must be protected. Health services must be protected.”
Since October 2023, at least 400 aid workers, including doctors, nurses, and teachers, have been killed in Gaza, according to the UN. PRCS says 27 of its staff have died in the line of duty.
“The occupation’s targeting of Red Crescent medics … can only be considered a war crime punishable under international humanitarian law,” PRCS stated.