- Eight medics from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) were killed in Gaza on March 23, 2025.
- The Red Cross condemned the attack, calling it a violation of international humanitarian law.
- The Israeli military admitted firing on ambulances, citing them as ‘suspicious vehicles’.
- One medic remains missing, and the bodies were retrieved after a week of denied access.
- The incident occurred amid renewed Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Red Cross Outraged Over Medics’ Deaths
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has expressed profound outrage following the killing of eight medics from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in Gaza on March 23, 2025. The incident marks the deadliest attack on Red Cross and Red Crescent workers globally since 2017.
Details of the Attack
The nine-person ambulance team came under heavy fire in the al-Hashashin area of Rafah, southern Gaza. The bodies of eight medics were retrieved on March 30 after access to the area was denied for a week. One medic, Assad Al-Nassasra, remains missing. The PRCS reported that the bodies were found alongside those of six members of Gaza’s civil defense agency and one UN employee.
Red Cross Condemnation
IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain described the attack as heartbreaking, emphasizing that the medics were responding to wounded individuals and wore emblems that should have protected them. ‘These dedicated ambulance workers were humanitarians. They wore emblems that should have protected them; their ambulances were clearly marked,’ Chapagain stated. He stressed that international humanitarian law mandates the protection of civilians, humanitarians, and health services.
Israeli Military Response
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) admitted to firing on ambulances in southern Gaza, identifying them as ‘suspicious vehicles.’ In a statement to Agence France-Presse, the IDF claimed that troops had opened fire on Hamas vehicles and later on additional vehicles that advanced suspiciously. The military acknowledged that some of these vehicles were ambulances and fire trucks, condemning what it called the ‘repeated use’ of ambulances by terrorist organizations in Gaza.
Hamas and PRCS Reactions
Hamas and the PRCS blamed the IDF for the attack, with senior Hamas official Basem Naim calling it a ‘flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions and a war crime.’ The PRCS demanded accountability for the perpetrators and urged the international community to prevent further attacks on medical personnel.
Context of the Incident
The attack occurred amid renewed Israeli military operations in Gaza, which resumed on March 18 after a ceasefire ended. The conflict, which began in October 2023, has resulted in significant casualties, with over 50,000 Palestinians killed, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. The war was triggered by Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
Call for Protection of Humanitarians
The Red Cross reiterated its call for the protection of humanitarian workers and civilians in conflict zones. Chapagain questioned, ‘When will this stop? All parties must stop the killing.’ The PRCS reported that 30 of its volunteers and staff have been killed since the conflict began.