Rescue teams work to recover the bodies of 15 aid workers in southern Rafah on March 27, 2025. Image courtesy of OCHA.
The bodies of more than a dozen aid workers have been found in southern Gaza, after they were reported missing following Israeli military attacks. The workers had been part of emergency response teams when Israeli forces fired on ambulances and fire trucks in the Rafah area. The bodies were discovered in what the United Nations has described as a "mass grave."
The recovery, which took place on Sunday, included 14 bodies, eight of which were members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), five from Civil Defense, and one from a UN agency. One PRCS medic is still missing. A fifteenth body, a Civil Defense worker, was found earlier in the week. The PRCS has said it was initially denied access to the site, complicating the search efforts.
The missing aid workers had last been seen on March 23, when Israeli forces fired on their vehicles. The Israeli military stated that the ambulances and fire trucks had been used as cover by militants from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Aid organizations, however, have condemned the attacks, calling them the deadliest on humanitarian workers in nearly a decade.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the bodies were recovered after a challenging week-long operation. Bulldozers and heavy machinery were used to dig through the sand to uncover the victims and their vehicles, which had been buried under debris. Health workers, visibly shaken, were seen mourning as the bodies of the aid workers, including those wearing PRCS vests, were recovered.
Jonathan Whittall from UNOCHA condemned the attack, saying, “Health workers should never be a target. And yet, we’re here today, digging up a mass grave of first responders and paramedics.” The video footage from UNOCHA showed rescue teams digging through dirt and debris to uncover the bodies.
The workers had been dispatched to respond to an earlier Israeli assault in the Rafah area when they came under fire. In the hours following the initial attack, more aid teams were targeted as they searched for their colleagues. The UN and aid groups have said the Israeli forces tried to cover up the site by burying the bodies and vehicles under sand.
The PRCS stated that its workers had lost communication on March 23 after Israeli forces besieged the area. The Civil Defense also reported that six of its members went missing shortly after. The Israeli military explained the attack by claiming that the ambulances and fire trucks were advancing toward troops without proper coordination, using headlights, or emergency signals.
Since March 18, Israel has renewed its military actions in Gaza, which has led to a rising death toll. Health authorities in Gaza say that more than 80 people were killed in recent Israeli strikes, adding to the tens of thousands who have died since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023.
International organizations, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), have repeatedly condemned the attacks on medical facilities and personnel. They insist that under international law, health workers and civilians must be protected in conflict zones.
In Gaza, the destruction of medical facilities and the loss of aid workers has been a major concern for both humanitarian groups and residents. Since October 7, 2023, over 400 aid workers have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza. The PRCS reported that 27 of its own staff have died while on duty, calling the targeting of medics by Israeli forces a "war crime."
