The Israeli army has admitted to killing 15 unarmed Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers in Gaza, with some claiming they were mistaken for enemy fighters. However, the Palestine Red Crescent’s director, Bashar Murad, says the victims were injured and on the phone with colleagues when they were shot.
Eyewitnesses describe a chilling scene: Israeli soldiers arriving at the location, speaking in Hebrew, and gathering the medical staff, saying “Gather them at the wall and bring some restraints to tie them.” The army claims the paramedics were advancing suspiciously towards IDF troops without headlights or emergency signals. However, experts say this is a classic tactic used to justify excessive force.
The Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, acknowledges that the executions are part of Israel’s policy to destroy Palestinian life. Meanwhile, an anonymous Israeli soldier wrote a column in Haaretz detailing how human shields are used in the Israeli army, claiming there is a “sub-army of slaves” among Palestinians.
Local resident Ashraf Abu Labda describes the scene as hell on earth, with his neighbors being zip-tied and executed before their eyes. He recalls the Israeli soldiers digging a mass grave to hide the victims’ bodies and crushing an ambulance under a bulldozer.
Critics say global leaders are too implicated in Israel’s atrocities to intervene effectively. The US and European leaders have been accused of supporting Israel’s policies, despite public calls for a ceasefire. As one resident notes, there will be no Nuremberg for the Palestinians, but we can honor their memory by remembering their sacrifices.
The writer, Ahmed Moor, concludes that as long as the Israeli leadership continues to profit from these atrocities, they will remain impune.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/02/israel-red-crescent-paramedics-europe-us