The Red Cross is “outraged at the deaths of eight medics from Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), killed on duty in Gaza,” the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said on Sunday night.
The individuals allegedly came under heavy fire in the Rafah area on March 23 and had been missing since.
The Red Cross, in a statement on Saturday, said they were gravely concerned about the fate of the nine crew members.
Eight of the bodies were retrieved on Sunday, with the ninth still missing, IFRC stated.
IFRC Secretary-General Jagan Chapagain stated that he is “heartbroken” at the news and that the ambulance worker emblems they wore “should have protected them…they should have returned to their families.”
The @IFRC condemns the killing of eight @PalestineRCS medics in Gaza. We are heartbroken. These dedicated humanitarians, killed while responding to the wounded, should have been protected. We mourn their loss and stand with the Palestine Red Crescent.Full statement:… pic.twitter.com/ohKLIjaW1O
— IFRC (@ifrc) March 30, 2025
“Civilians must be protected; humanitarians must be protected. Health services must be protected,” Chapagain added.
“The number of Palestinian Red Crescent volunteers and staff killed since the start of this conflict is now 30,” Chapagain claimed.
This incident represents the “single most deadly attack on Red Cross Red Crescent workers anywhere in the world since 2017,” according to the statement.
PRCS demanded that “the perpetrators of this war crime be held accountable” and that “the fate of missing medic Assad al-Nasasra. whose whereabouts remain unknown, be revealed,” in a statement on Sunday evening.
PRCS: The Killing of Eight of Our Medics is a Tragedy Against Humanitarian Work#NotATarget #IHL #Gaza pic.twitter.com/gscsZD4nNp
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) March 30, 2025
Who was responsible?
While IFRC did not assert blame for the incident, PRCS blamed the IDF, as did Hamas, according to the BBC.
Agence France-Presse reported that the IDF admitted to firing on ambulances in Gaza after identifying them as “suspicious vehicles,” BBC reported.
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