Aid trucks lined up at the Rafah border crossing in Egypt on March 2, 2025. Getty Images
More than a dozen aid workers have died or gone missing in Gaza in recent days as Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid nears a month. Several groups have reported attacks and losses, raising concerns about the safety of relief workers.
The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said eight of its staff members were killed in Gaza over the past week. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) also reported that nine of its emergency medical technicians (EMTs) went missing after Israeli forces fired on ambulances and fire trucks in Rafah. The attack occurred on Sunday, and the EMTs have not been found.
In a separate incident, Israeli strikes near a community kitchen killed a volunteer from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) and injured six others. The attack happened on Thursday while meals were being distributed.
Israel claims it targeted the vehicles in Rafah because they were allegedly used by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants as cover. The military also stated that it fired at suspicious vehicles advancing without prior coordination, headlights, or emergency signals.
The recent violence comes after Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza on March 18, ending a temporary ceasefire that had been in place since January. According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 855 people have been killed and 1,869 injured since the fighting restarted.
Aid groups and the UN accuse Israel of blocking humanitarian aid and violating international law. They claim Israel is using starvation as a weapon by preventing food and medical supplies from reaching Gaza. Before the ceasefire ended, around 500 to 600 aid trucks entered Gaza daily. Now, no supplies have entered for over three weeks.
As hunger spreads, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians face severe malnutrition. WFP officials say their food stocks can only last for two more weeks. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that around 10 community kitchens have shut down due to fuel shortages and ongoing violence. With cooking gas now scarce and expensive, many families depend on the few remaining kitchens.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini called for an immediate ceasefire and demanded Israel lift the blockade. He stressed that parents are struggling to find food for their children, while hunger and disease continue to spread.
Since the conflict began in October 2023, more than 400 aid workers, including teachers, doctors, and nurses, have died in Gaza. This includes 289 UN staff, 34 PRCS workers, and 76 employees from other NGOs.
The ongoing violence has also sparked protests in northern Gaza. Demonstrators have blamed both Hamas and Israel for their suffering, chanting anti-Hamas slogans and calling for an end to the war.
