Israeli army gets accused of executing 15 Palestinian medics in Gaza

(MENAFN) The Israeli army has been accused of executing 15 Palestinian medics in Gaza, burying their bodies in a mass grave, and falsely labeling them as “terrorists.” This tragic event, part of an ongoing series of war crimes, has shocked even typically indifferent global media.

Jonathan Whittall, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Palestine, shared details on X about the discovery of the bodies on March 31. He explained that contact had been lost with ten members of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and six Civil Defense first responders on March 23, after they were dispatched to aid the injured. Access to the site was delayed for several days, but when humanitarian workers finally reached it, they recovered the bodies of eight PRCS members, six Civil Defense responders, and one UN staff member, all of whom were killed while performing their duties in marked vehicles and uniforms.

According to Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defense, some of the victims had their feet tied, one was beheaded, and others were shot multiple times, including one who was hit with 20 bullets in the chest. Additionally, one medic is still missing and is believed to have been detained by Israeli forces.

This incident has drawn outrage from various organizations, including the UN, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and OCHA. Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the IFRC, emphasized that the medics were clearly marked as humanitarian workers and should have been protected under international law. Since the outbreak of the conflict in October 2023, over 400 aid workers have been killed in Gaza, including more than 280 staff members from the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The UN has called for accountability and justice for these killings.

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