Zeynep ConkarIn late March, when Israel launched a fresh ground invasion into Rafah, a team of emergency responders rushed to the frontlines to save lives. Nine staff from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and six Civil Defence responders were dispatched, but before they could reach their destination, all contact was lost with them.
Despite urgent efforts by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), access to the site was blocked for five days.
Days later, a mass grave was discovered near the site, containing the bodies of eight PRCS staff, six Civil Defence responders, and a UNRWA worker – with one PRCS member still missing.
When UN officials were finally able to reach the site, they discovered a devastating scene. “Ambulances, the UN vehicle, and the fire truck had been crushed and partially buried. After hours of digging, we recovered one body – a Civil Defence worker beneath his fire truck,” said Jonathan Whittall, Head of OCHA in the occupied Palestinian Territory.
“On the first day of Eid, we returned and recovered the buried bodies of 8 PRCS, 6 Civil Defense, and 1 UN staff. They were killed in their uniforms. Driving their clearly marked vehicles. Wearing their gloves. On their way to save lives. This should never have happened,” he added.
The incident is a clear violation of international humanitarian law, according to Alper Kucuk, Director-General for International Affairs & Migration at the Turkish Red Crescent and President of the Sphere Standards.
“Humanitarian action and humanitarian workers are clearly protected under international humanitarian law. The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols both protect and call for respect for humanitarian workers and their missions,” he explains to TRT World.
The Turkish Red Crescent is “outraged by the killing of its colleagues working for the Palestine Red Crescent, but also for other humanitarian agencies”.
“They were responding to an emergency, trying to save lives, when they came under fire. They went missing. After days of silence, their bodies were found in a mass grave, along with Civil Defence and UN humanitarian workers. This is the level of threat we’re dealing with.”
Killing of protected persons
Humanitarian personnel are protected under international humanitarian law, particularly under the Geneva Conventions.
Aid workers serving with UN agencies, NGOs, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are listed among protected persons and must not be targeted by any party to a conflict.
In 2003, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1502, strengthening protections for humanitarian workers and classifying attacks against them as war crimes.
Attacking aid workers is not only a violation of international law but could also constitute a war crime, particularly when part of a systematic pattern, one that is unfortunately evident in the repeated targeting of humanitarian personnel by Israeli forces.
Out of more than 50,500 people killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, the number of humanitarian personnel assassinated by Israel stands at least 408. In just the first three months of 2025, the Israeli army has been responsible for multiple incidents in which it completely disregarded international law.
In January, the World Food Programme (WFP) reported that Israeli forces fired at least 16 bullets at one of their aid convoys.
On March 19, the UN said Israeli forces attacked its compound in Deir al-Balah, killing a Bulgarian staff member and seriously injuring six others, all from the UN Mine Action Service. Following the attack, the UN withdrew 30 percent of its international staff from Gaza and demanded an independent investigation. Israel denied responsibility.
On March 27, World Central Kitchen reported that Israeli forces struck one of its food distribution points during mealtime, killing a volunteer and wounding six others.
When asked about the most serious challenges facing humanitarian responders on the ground, Kucuk points to a lack of access: “The biggest challenge is reaching those in need.”
Kucuk underlines that the Turkish Red Crescent enjoys strong support from its donors, the Turkish nation, the government, and civil society – all mobilised to support Gaza – as well as from international partners.
“We have the capacity to respond, but we are being prevented from doing so by these attacks on our missions.”
“That’s the core problem, and it’s directly tied to the security situation,” he adds.
As the world’s largest humanitarian network, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) plays a pivotal role in delivering humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian enclave. Operating in 192 countries, the IFRC is protected by international humanitarian law.
Some 150 bodies have been found in the two graves, and around 700 people are still unaccounted for since the Israeli withdrawal from Khan Younis on April 7, following a 4-month ground offensive.
Largest grave in the world
Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza since 2007, making it impossible to reach the enclave without passing through Israeli checkpoints.
Shortly after October 7, Israel imposed a "complete siege" of Gaza, cutting off essential services such as gas, electricity, food and medicine, leaving the enclave in the midst of a severe humanitarian crisis, entirely dependent on aid.
Oftentimes, collected aid shipments reach all the way to Egypt but are unable to reach Gaza because Israel does not permit it, while there have also been examples where Israeli authorities at the border arbitrarily change rules, only allowing entry at their whim.
Earlier this week, the UN reported that humanitarian workers are being killed at an "unprecedented" level, with 2024 being the "worst year" on record for aid personnel.
"According to the available data, 2024 was the worst year on record, with 377 aid workers killed in 20 countries. This was nearly 100 more fatalities than in 2023, which had already seen a 137 percent increase over 2022," Joyce Msuya, assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and deputy emergency relief coordinator, told the UNSC.
"Their clearly marked vehicles were found destroyed and crushed," the UN official revealed, adding that the OCHA team also "witnessed civilians being shot while fleeing."
Earlier today, the UN human rights Chief also warned the Security Council of a high and increasing risk that atrocity crimes are being committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
“I am appalled by the recent killing of 15 medical personnel and humanitarian aid workers, which raise further concerns over the commission of war crimes by the Israeli military,” said Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“Gaza has become the largest grave in the world with systematic attacks. Every minute, every second, we witness yet another violation of international humanitarian law,” says Kucuk.
“These crimes make it nearly impossible for us to deliver life-saving support to those who desperately need it. That is our main challenge – and we call for an immediate end to the killings so we can continue our mission,” he explains.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,200 Palestinians, including at least 320 children, since March 1.
Bombardments of residential buildings, tents, hospitals and schools continue, including places where Palestinians have been ordered to move.
The UN reports that the bodies of more than a dozen aid workers have been recovered from a mass grave in southern Gaza. Among them, eight were members of the Palestine Red Crescent, and one was from the UN. They had been missing for over a week following an attack by the Israeli military. Paul Hawkins has the story.
