The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has reported that Israeli authorities are deliberately hindering efforts to locate nine ambulance crew members who lost contact in the Tel Al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah. The team has been missing for seven days following intense gunfire from Israeli forces during their mission to rescue victims of airstrikes.

PRCS officials hold the Israeli occupation responsible for the safety of the missing crew, emphasizing that they were subjected to heavy fire, resulting in injuries among their ranks. The organization has called on the international community to pressure Israel to disclose the fate of the missing personnel and to take urgent action to protect medical teams operating in the area.

On the same day the PRCS lost contact with its team, five members of the Civil Defense, including paramedics and firefighters, also went missing. One Civil Defense member was later found dead under horrific conditions, highlighting the dangers faced by rescue teams amid ongoing hostilities.

Since the escalation of violence on March 18, Israeli forces have inflicted heavy casualties, with the Ministry of Health in Gaza reporting 921 fatalities and over 2,000 injuries, primarily among women and children. The PRCS continues to advocate for the protection of medical personnel and an end to the violence that endangers civilian lives.