A Palestinian walks among the rubble following an Israeli ground operation in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Aug. 30, 2024. (Credit: Hatem Khaled/Reuters)
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said on Thursday that the fate of nine emergency medical technicians (EMTs) remains unknown for the fifth consecutive day after being “besieged and targeted by Israeli occupation forces” in Rafah, southern Gaza. The organization expressed deep concern for the safety of its teams and said it holds “Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for their fate.”
Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking unit has obtained exclusive satellite images, taken on March 23, showing the Israeli army detaining and surrounding at least five vehicles belonging to the PRCS and Civil Defence in the western area of Rafah. PRCS reported that it lost all contact with these ambulance crews five days ago, raising fears over their safety and well-being.
The organization urgently called on the international community to “take immediate action to enable rescue teams to reach the Tel al-Sultan area in Rafah and determine the fate of the missing EMTs,” and to ensure that all its teams operating in Gaza are protected from Israeli aggression.
The crisis unfolds amid the ongoing devastation of Gaza’s healthcare sector. Only two months into Israel’s war on Gaza, its air force had already decimated medical infrastructure. According to OCHA, out of 36 hospitals, only 17 remained partially functional by early December 2024, with the other 19 closed. In early January 2025, Médecins Sans Frontières reported that Israel had killed more than 1,000 health workers in the besieged territory.
Since Israel breached the cease-fire agreement on March 18, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reports that 855 Palestinians have been killed in the enclave.
Humanitarian convoy reaches Rmeish, Ain Ibl, Dibil despite obstacles
