Israeli forces have been accused of executing 15 humanitarian workers in cold blood during a rescue mission in Rafah, southern Gaza, in what has been described as a deliberate and calculated attack on medical and relief teams. The victims included paramedics from the Palestinian Red Crescent, civil defence personnel, and a UNRWA employee—all of whom were carrying out their duty to evacuate the wounded.

Eyewitness testimonies and forensic evidence indicate that several of the victims were restrained before being shot at close range, sustaining fatal wounds to the head and chest. Their bodies were left in the open for over a week, as Israeli forces prevented their retrieval. The nature of the killings, alongside Israel’s continued targeting of humanitarian workers, has been denounced as a flagrant violation of international law and a clear war crime.

Palestinian authorities and human rights organisations have called for an urgent international investigation under the supervision of the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, urging immediate action to hold Israel accountable. The systematic attacks on relief teams, they argue, are part of a broader strategy to crush any efforts to provide aid to a besieged and defenceless population.

Despite the ongoing assaults, Palestinian medical and rescue teams remain undeterred, risking their lives daily to reach those in need. The targeting of those who dedicate themselves to saving lives has