Palestinian International Organization for Peace and Human Rights
March 23, 2026
A year has passed since the killing of fifteen paramedics, rescue workers, and humanitarian aid workers in the Gaza Strip, who went out on March 23, 2025, to carry out their life-saving duties. The first anniversary of the incident renews the debate on the protection of humanitarian workers, uncovering the circumstances, and the rights of the victims’ families to truth and accountability.
Details of the incident and its consequences
According to published information about the incident, the bodies of eight Palestinian Red Crescent paramedics, six Civil Defense personnel, and a United Nations employee were recovered approximately a week after their deaths. The diverse backgrounds of the victims underscore the humanitarian nature of their work and the significant impact their loss will have on the ability of emergency teams to respond to the growing needs.
The repercussions of the incident do not stop at the number of victims, as their families face questions about what happened and the circumstances that led to their deaths, while ambulance crews are working under exceptional pressures including difficulty in reaching the injured, risks of movement, and service disruptions.
What does international humanitarian law stipulate?
International humanitarian law provides special protection for medical personnel and medical transport, and it also protects civilian humanitarian workers from being targeted. Assessing any attack requires considering the facts, evidence, and conduct of the parties involved; the mere occurrence of casualties is insufficient to establish individual criminal responsibility.
Conducting an independent and effective investigation, preserving evidence, and ensuring victims’ families have access to information are essential steps to guarantee accountability. If it is established that protected persons were deliberately targeted, war crimes liability may arise under applicable conditions.
Justice and the protection of humanitarian work
The anniversary highlights the need to ensure the safe passage of rescue teams, the protection of ambulances and care centers, and the unimpeded evacuation of the injured. It also underscores the importance of transparent investigations and ensuring that families are not left in the dark about the fate of their loved ones and the circumstances of their deaths.
Protecting those who save lives remains a fundamental part of protecting civilians. This protection cannot be achieved through statements alone, but requires concrete actions that prevent attacks and provide redress when they occur.
Featured image: Illustrative archive photo and does not document the incident. Damaged ambulance in Deir al-Balah. Photo: Ashraf Amra / UNRWA, License CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO — Image source.
