GENEVA,.Switzerland - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has expressed profound outrage following the deaths of eight medics from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) who were killed while on duty in Gaza.The medics had been missing since March 23 after coming under heavy fire in the Al-Hashashin area of Rafah.Their bodies were recovered on Sunday after access to the area had been denied for seven days. ​

The deceased include ambulance officers Mostafa Khufaga, Saleh Muamer, and Ezzedine Shaath, along with first responder volunteers Mohammad Bahloul, Mohammed Al-Heila, Ashraf Abu Labda, Raed Al Sharif, and Rifatt Radwan. Another ambulance officer, Assad Al-Nassasra, remains missing. ​

IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain expressed heartbreak over the incident, emphasizing that these humanitarian workers were clearly identified and should have been protected under international humanitarian law. 

"I am heartbroken. These dedicated ambulance workers were responding to wounded people. They were humanitarians. They wore emblems that should have protected them; their ambulances were clearly marked. They should have returned to their families; they did not," he ssid in a statement issued on Sunday

"Even in the most complex conflict zones, there are rules. These rules of International Humanitarian Law could not be clearer – civilians must be protected; humanitarians must be protected. Health services must be protected," he said.     

"Our network is in mourning, but this is not enough. Instead of another call on all parties to protect and respect humanitarians and civilians, I pose a question: ‘When will this stop? All parties must stop the killing, and all humanitarians must be protected.'" 

This devastating incident represents the single most deadly attack on Red Cross Red Crescent workers anywhere in the world since 2017. 

The IFRC said Monday that the number of Red Cross volunteers and staff killed since the onset of the conflict has now reached thirty. ​

The international body of the Red Cross says it continues to call for the protection of humanitarian workers and adherence to international humanitarian law to prevent further tragedies.

Meantime at least 80 people have lost their lives in Israeli attacks across Gaza over the past 48 hours, according to the territory's Health Ministry. This development raises the total number of fatalities to 1,001 since Israel broke the ceasefire on March 18.

Additionally, the Israeli military has issued evacuation orders for all residents of Rafah, in southern Gaza, instructing them to move to the al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis. This directive comes in anticipation of what the Israeli army has described as "intense combat operations." However, the designated "safe zone" has been subject to bombardment throughout the conflict and remains devoid of essential supplies, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

The ongoing violence has drawn widespread international concern, with humanitarian organizations warning of deteriorating conditions for civilians caught in the conflict. Efforts to broker a renewed ceasefire have so far been unsuccessful, leaving the situation on the ground increasingly dire.

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Concern after disappearance of 9 Red Cross medics in Gaza