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The available information indicates that the first team was killed by Israeli forces on 23 March, and that other emergency and aid crews were struck one after another over several hours as they searched for their missing colleagues,
the spokesperson added
They were killed in cold blood by the Israeli occupation, despite the clear nature of their humanitarian mission,
Raed al-Nimis, the Red Crescent spokesperson in Gaza, told the AP
All humanitarians must be protected,
he saidSeven days ago, civil defence and PRCS ambulances arrived at the scene. One by one, they were hit, they were struck. Their bodies were gathered and buried in this mass grave.”
Jonathan Whittall, head of Ocha in Palestine, said in a video statement
While travelling to the area on the fifth day we encountered hundreds of civilians fleeing under gunfire,
Whittall saidWe’re digging them out in their uniforms, with their gloves on. They were here to save lives. Instead, they ended up in a mass grave,
Whittall saidHe informed us that he was injured and requested assistance, and that another person was also injured,
Murad saidThe bodies were recovered with difficulty as they were buried in the sand, with some showing signs of decomposition,
the Red Crescent saidThe body of our colleague killed in Rafah was retrieved yesterday, together with the aid workers from [the Palestinian Red Crescent] – all of them discarded in shallow graves – a profound violation of human dignity,
Lazzarini wrote in a social media postWhat is certain and very clear is that they were shot in the upper parts of their bodies, then gathered in a hole one on top of another, with sand thrown over them and buried,
he saidHealth workers should never be a target. And yet, we’re here today, digging up a mass grave of first responders and paramedics,
Jonathan Whittall, the head of UNOCHA in the occupied Palestinian territories, said from the site
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,
PCRS saidIsraeli forces besieged the area, leading to (the) complete loss of communication with our teams,
PRCS saidThis massacre of our team is a tragedy not only for us at the Palestine Red Crescent Society, but also for humanitarian work and humanity,
PCRS said in its statement, calling the targeting of its medics “a war crime” punishable under international law
Even in the most complex conflict zones, there are rules. These rules of International Humanitarian Law could not be clearer – civilians must be protected; humanitarians must be protected. Health services must be protected,
Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the IFRC, said in a statement on SundayI am heartbroken. These dedicated ambulance workers were responding to wounded people. They were humanitarians,
said IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain
They wore emblems that should have protected them; their ambulances were clearly marked,
he addedTheir bodies were identified today and have been recovered for dignified burial. These staff and volunteers were risking their own lives to provide support to others,
the ICRC saidInstead of another call on all parties to protect and respect humanitarians and civilians, I pose a question: when will this stop? All parties must stop the killing,
he saidThe IDF condemns the repeated use of civilian infrastructure by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, including the use of medical facilities and ambulances for terrorist purposes,
it said in a statement