The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) announced on Sunday that it had recovered the bodies of 14 workers in Rafah. Photo: Palestine Chronicle.
PRCS condemned the attack as a “premeditated crime” and a “flagrant violation” of international humanitarian law.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) announced on Sunday that it had recovered the bodies of 14 workers in Rafah, southern Gaza, following an Israeli airstrike about a week ago.
The victims included eight Red Crescent medics, five Civil Defense workers, and a UN agency employee.
According to PRCS, rescue teams continue searching for additional remains despite significant challenges posed by ongoing Israeli attacks on medical and humanitarian crews.
PRCS said in a statement that the workers “were targeted by the Israeli occupation forces while performing their humanitarian duties as they were heading to the Hashashin area of Rafah to provide first aid to a number of people injured by Israeli shelling in the area.”
“The occupation’s targeting of Red Crescent medics (…) can only be considered a war crime punishable under international humanitarian law, which the occupation continues to violate before the eyes of the entire world.”
In an earlier statement, the Red Crescent said the bodies “were recovered with difficulty as they were buried in the sand, with some showing signs of decomposition.”
The organization previously stated that the fate of nine of its medics remained unknown for the eighth consecutive day after Israeli forces opened fire on them while they were performing humanitarian duties in Rafah.
PRCS condemned the attack as a “premeditated crime” and a “flagrant violation” of international humanitarian law, emphasizing that Israeli forces are legally obligated to protect medical personnel.
The organization also renewed its call on the international community to take concrete steps to halt Israel’s “grave violations” against medical teams and Palestinian civilians and to ensure accountability under international law.
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Satellite Images Reveal Destruction of Rescue Vehicles
Exclusive satellite images obtained by Al-Jazeera and Sanad News Agency confirm that the Israeli army destroyed at least six rescue vehicles belonging to the Red Crescent and Civil Defense. These vehicles had been used by the 15 volunteer crews targeted during a humanitarian mission in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood, west of Rafah.
Sanad’s satellite images, taken on March 25, show the completely destroyed vehicles in two adjacent locations on Al-Muharrarat Street. The images also reveal the deployment of Israeli military and engineering vehicles conducting intensive bulldozing operations at the site. The Israeli army later sealed off Al-Muharrarat Street with an earthen barrier.
This attack coincided with attempts by PRCS and Civil Defense to coordinate entry into the military-sealed area to search for the missing. On the sixth day of losing contact with their teams, PRCS confirmed that Israeli forces had completely destroyed the rescue vehicles and buried them in sand.
Evidence of Targeting
On March 27, Sanad News Agency released additional satellite images showing Israeli forces detaining Red Crescent and Civil Defense vehicles on Al-Muharrarat Street in Tel al-Sultan.
PRCS had earlier reported that, on March 23, nine of its crew members remained missing after Israeli forces surrounded and attacked them while they attempted to respond to a bombardment in Rafah’s Hashashin area.
Civil Defense also reported losing contact with six of its crew members after they left in two vehicles to assist victims of an Israeli attack on displaced civilians in Tel al-Sultan.
Both organizations have condemned the attacks as deliberate violations of international humanitarian law.
PRCS stressed that targeting medical personnel wearing internationally recognized emblems is a war crime, while the Palestinian Civil Defense described the assault as a “crime of genocide” under international law and the Geneva Conventions.
The Civil Defense further accused Israeli forces of deliberately altering the site’s features and using bulldozers to conceal the bodies of some civilians.
Despite the ongoing threats, PRCS and Civil Defense teams continue efforts to recover additional victims.
Ongoing Genocide
The renewed Israeli violence on March 18 has broken a ceasefire that began on January 19. The latest military actions have killed hundreds of Palestinians and injured many more, primarily civilians, including women and children.
While the violations have been condemned by numerous countries and human rights groups, the US has continued its support for Israel, asserting that the military campaign was carried out with prior knowledge and approval from Washington.
Since October 2023, Israel has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left Gaza in ruins.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.
