Our aid workers were brutally killed and thrown into a mass grave in Gaza. This must never happen again : Jagan Chapagain / The Guardian

Article shared by Tom McDermott

The discovery of a recent atrocity in which 15 rescue workers from the Red Crescent, Civil Defense and the UN were killed while traveling in clearly marked vehicles with flashing lights on a mission to rescue others must reverberate with all of us who have worked in situations of armed conflict.  

Even worse, the vehicles and bodies were buried by a bulldozer in an apparent attempt to cover up the evidence.  

Israel's military has now admitted that its first story - that the vehicles were moving without headlights and emergency lights is 'partially incorrect'.  This admission however came only after images on the cellphone on the body of one of the aid workers was recovered, showing clearly their vehicles stopped on a roadside with flashing red lights when they came under direct fire.  

On behalf of the UN the SG has demanded a thorough independent investigation.  A similar call comes below from the head of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.  Let's see.

 
Click here for the article

Summary
Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, denounces the killing and mass burial of aid workers in Gaza, including paramedics from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, UNWRA, and civil defense. Describing the scene of ambulances crushed and buried with the bodies of uniformed medics nearby, he calls for urgent accountability and renewed global commitment to protecting humanitarian personnel. The article follows U.N. reports and eyewitness testimony suggesting the victims were executed, raising serious concerns about violations of international humanitarian law and the targeting of those whose role is to save lives in war zones.


Quotes
“The people we lost were not soldiers. They were ambulance officers, first responder volunteers and drivers.”
“They were clearly wearing their Palestine Red Crescent Society uniforms – the red vest that is meant to protect them, not put a target on their backs.”