The funeral of 15 medics and emergency workers killed by Israeli forces in southern Gaza has taken place after their bodies and ambulances were found in a makeshift mass grave.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said the workers and their vehicles were clearly marked as medical and humanitarian personnel and accused Israeli forces of “mercilessly” killing them.
Among the victims were eight Red Crescent workers, six members of the Gaza Civil Defence and one employee of UNRWA, the UN agency for the Palestinians.
The International Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies said it was the deadliest attack on its staff in eight years.
Israeli forces have killed more than 100 civil defense workers and over 1,000 medical workers since the conflict in Gaza began 18 months ago, according to the UN.
The emergency teams had been missing since March 23, when they went to help victims in the Tel al-Sultan area of the southern city of Rafah around midday after the Israeli offensive began.
That same day, the military announced the need to evacuate the area, claiming that Hamas militants were there. At the time, the Civil Defense reported that displaced Palestinians who had taken refuge in the area had been injured, and that a team attempting to rescue them had been “surrounded by Israeli forces.”
“According to available information, the first group was killed by Israeli forces on March 23,” the UN statement said.
Later, other teams sent to help the first were “attacked one after another over several hours,” the statement added. All teams left during daylight hours, according to civil defense.
The Israeli military said on Sunday that its forces opened fire on March 23 on vehicles that were “suspiciously” approaching them without signaling for emergency assistance.
The statement said an “initial assessment” found that Israeli forces killed a Hamas militant named Mohammed Amin Shobaki and eight other militants. Israel has previously targeted ambulances and other emergency vehicles, accusing Hamas militants of using them for transportation.
However, none of the Red Crescent and Civil Defense workers killed had that name, and no other bodies were found at the site, casting doubt on the military's assumption that
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
