The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has condemned the killing of 15 humanitarian workers, including members of the Palestinian Red Crescent, emergency responders, and a UN staff member, in southern Gaza during an Israeli military attack eight days ago. The agency described the incident as a “profound violation of human dignity.”

On March 23, a group of emergency workers traveled to Rafah following multiple Israeli airstrikes to assist the injured and retrieve bodies. The convoy, consisting of five ambulances, a fire truck, and a UN vehicle, was targeted by Israeli forces, severing contact with the team.

Six days later, personnel from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Palestinian Red Crescent discovered the vehicles, now destroyed and partially buried. After hours of digging, they recovered the body of the Civil Defense mission leader in Rafah, who had been trapped beneath the fire truck. On March 30, they discovered 14 additional bodies, including eight male healthcare workers from the Palestinian Red Crescent, five rescuers from Civil Defense, and the UNRWA employee. One healthcare worker remains missing.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini described the killings as part of a grim pattern of violence, stating, “In Gaza, these murders have become routine.” He called for accountability, warning against the normalization of such actions.

Lazzarini also reported the death of another UNRWA staff member, bringing the agency’s employee fatalities to over 280 since the war began on October 7, 2023, between Israel and Hamas.

Humanitarian organizations have called for greater protection for personnel working in conflict zones, emphasizing that attacks on them represent violations of international humanitarian law. The continued violence in Gaza underscores the urgent need for international intervention to protect civilians and humanitarian workers alike, and to address the region’s worsening crisis.

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