‘War Crime’ – Israeli Forces Admit Targeting Ambulances, Civilians in Gaza
Hamas condemns the Israeli occupation army’s admission of targeting ambulances in Gaza, calling it a “war crime”.
On Saturday, the Israeli occupation army acknowledged that it had fired on ambulances in the Gaza Strip, claiming the vehicles were deemed “suspicious.”
The Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas condemned this as a “war crime” that led to the deaths of several civil defense personnel.
Gaza’s Civil Defense reported on Friday that its crews had been targeted by Israeli forces while working in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood, west of Rafah, in southern Gaza, six days ago.
The crews were surrounded, and contact with them was lost. The fate of nine rescue workers remains unknown.
Hamas called for the immediate formation of an international committee to investigate the Israeli attack on Palestinian civil defense and Red Crescent crews, demanding accountability for the “fascist Zionist war criminals.”
It also described the Israeli army’s actions as a blatant violation of international law and humanitarian conventions, highlighting the targeting of civil defense personnel as an ongoing crime amid Gaza’s months-long siege.
Hamas further emphasized that “international silence on these crimes equates to unacceptable complicity,” urging the United Nations and humanitarian organizations like the International Committee of the Red Cross to urgently investigate and form a commission of inquiry.
🚨 For the seventh consecutive day, the fate of nine Palestine Red Crescent EMTs remains unknown after they were besieged and targeted by Israeli forces in Rafah. Today, Israeli authorities refused to allow a rescue team to enter the Tel Al-Sultan area to search for the missing… pic.twitter.com/eXwTDO7ahh
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) March 29, 2025
On Thursday evening, the Palestinian Red Crescent, with coordination from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), recovered the body of one of the missing civil defense paramedics.
However, the fate of the remaining nine members of the team is still unknown, as Israeli forces surrounded and targeted them in Rafah.
The Israeli army acknowledged firing on ambulances, claiming that after Israeli soldiers “eliminated Hamas terrorists,” other “suspicious” vehicles approached. The army also claimed that some of these vehicles were ambulances and fire trucks, suggesting they had been used for “terrorist purposes.”
UN Humanitarian Coordinator Tom Fletcher confirmed that since March 18, ambulances and rescue workers have been targeted, urging the international community to uphold international law.
On Sunday, the Israeli army launched air and ground operations in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood, resulting in civilian casualties and the further siege of ambulance and civil defense crews.
LIVE BLOG: New Massacres in Rafah, Khan Yunis | Jenin Refugee Camp Now ‘Uninhabitable’ – Day 540
Ongoing Genocide
The renewed Israeli violence on March 18 has broken a ceasefire that began on January 19. The latest military actions have killed hundreds of Palestinians and injured many more, primarily civilians, including women and children.
While the violations have been condemned by numerous countries and human rights groups, the US has continued its support for Israel, asserting that the military campaign was carried out with prior knowledge and approval from Washington.
Since October 2023, Israel has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left Gaza in ruins.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.
(PC, AJA)