Palestinians mourn medics killed by Israeli fire in Gaza

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Palestinians on Monday mourned eight medics killed more than a week ago when Israeli forces attacked ambulances in Rafah, southern Gaza.

The bodies were taken for burial from Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Monday. The Palestine Red Crescent published pictures on Facebook of the funeral prayers held for those killed, before their burial.

The bodies of the eight medics from the Palestine Red Crescent, six members of Gaza's civil defence agency and one employee of a UN agency were retrieved on Sunday from Rafah, the Red Crescent said. It added that one medic was still missing.

The Red Crescent said those killed “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,” said the humanitarian aid organisation.

UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine commissioner general Philippe Lazzarini said the killing of aid workers had become “routine”.

“The 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,” he wrote on X on Monday. “Whether on the front line, or in their homes with their families, civilians must be protected at all time.”

Gaza's Health Ministry said some of dead had been shot in the chest and their bodies were bound, and it called on the UN and other international organisations to investigate and hold Israel accountable.

Israel’s military on Sunday said its troops had opened fire on vehicles “advancing suspiciously” without emergency signals or movement co-ordinated in advance. It said nine “terrorists” had been killed.

The Red Cross expressed is anger over the deaths. “When will this stop? The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is outraged at the deaths of eight medics from PRCS, killed on duty in Gaza,” the humanitarian network said.

It said the bodies were retrieved after “seven days of silence” and of having access denied to the area of Rafah where they were last seen.

“I am heart-broken,” IFRC secretary general Jagan Chapagain said.