GAZA, March 31, 2025 (WAFA) – Medical sources reported late last night that the bodies of several paramedics of the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) who were recovered from the Tal al-Sultan area in Rafah, southern Gaza, were found bound, after they had been field executed by Israeli occupation forces during a humanitarian mission.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society had previously announced that 14 bodies were retrieved, including eight paramedics from their teams, five rescue workers, and one employee from the United Nations. These individuals had been missing for eight days after being surrounded by Israeli forces.
According to medical sources, "some of these bodies were tied, shot in the chest, and buried in a deep pit to conceal them," implying that the Israeli military had detained and executed them.
The Palestinian Red Crescent further confirmed that the bodies of eight out of the nine paramedics, who had lost contact eight days earlier after being caught in heavy gunfire in the al-Hashashin area of Rafah, were located. One paramedic, Asaad al-Nassasra, remains missing and is believed to have been detained.
PRCS emphasized that the bodies were retrieved with great difficulty as they were buried in the sand, and some had begun to decompose.
The society mourned the loss of its paramedics: Mustafa Khafaja, Ezzedine Shaat, Saleh Ma'ammar, Rifaat Radwan, Mohamed Bahloul, Ashraf Abu Labda, Mohamed al-Hila, and Raed Sharif. With these fatalities, the total number of PRCS workers killed in Gaza since the Israeli offensive began on October 7, 2023, has risen to 27.
PRCS described the massacre of its paramedics as a "tragic event" not only for the Palestine Red Crescent but also for the humanitarian cause worldwide.
The Red Crescent also condemned the Israeli targeting of its personnel, whose work is protected by international law, and described it as a "war crime." It called on the international community to take immediate steps to hold the perpetrators accountable under international humanitarian law, which continues to be violated by Israel in full view of the global community.
The society called for a swift investigation into the incident to ensure justice for the victims and to clarify the fate of the still-missing paramedic, Asaad al-Nassasra.
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