Fifteen emergency and aid workers from the Red Crescent, Palestinian Civil Defense, and the United Nations have been retrieved from a grave in the southern Gaza Strip, as reported by Reuters. The grim discovery has heightened scrutiny of the ongoing conflict and the conditions under which humanitarian organizations operate.

UN aid chief Tom Fletcher announced on social media that the bodies were found near “wrecked & well-marked vehicles” and asserted that “they were killed by Israeli forces while trying to save lives. We demand answers & justice.” The Israeli military did not directly address these allegations, indicating instead that it facilitated the action in an area classified as an active combat zone.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), condemned the incident, describing the treatment of the bodies as “a profound violation of human dignity.” He noted that the tragedy marks an increase in the fatalities among aid workers, bringing the total to 408 since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

On March 23, the group, which included members of the Palestine Red Crescent, went missing while attempting to assist the injured in Rafah amid resumed Israeli military offensives. The bodies of six civil defense members and one UN worker were also recovered from the area. The Palestine Red Crescent alleged that Israeli forces specifically targeted the workers, although official statements from the Red Cross did not assign blame.

According to the Israeli military, an investigation found troops fired upon a group of vehicles, including ambulances and fire trucks, claiming the vehicles approached without proper communication or emergency signals. They suggested that militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad were among those killed.

Jonathan Whittall of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) described the scene as a “mass grave,” highlighting the location marked by emergency lights from a crushed ambulance. An OCHA spokesperson stated that the burial site appeared to be a mound of sand created by machinery rather than as a result of explosions.

The incident represents the most lethal attack on Red Cross or Red Crescent personnel globally since 2017, prompting strong condemnation from humanitarian organizations. IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain expressed sorrow over the losses, emphasizing the humanitarian role of those involved and the emblematic protection they should have received.

Tragically, since the beginning of the ongoing conflict, over 1,060 healthcare workers have been reported killed, which has led to the UN reducing its international staff in Gaza by a third due to safety concerns, compounding the challenges facing humanitarian efforts in the region. For further details, see Channel News Asia or South China Morning Post.