They accused Israeli forces of killing the workers as they tried to help the wounded in the conflict-ridden enclave.
Tom Fletcher, the U.N.’s top relief coordinator, said on X that the bodies were discovered near “wrecked & well-marked vehicles,” adding that “they were killed by Israeli forces while trying to save lives.”
Meanwhile, Philippe Lazzarini, who leads the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), condemned the dumping of bodies in “shallow graves,” calling it a severe violation of human dignity.
The Israeli military did not directly address the deaths but acknowledged facilitating removal of the remains from an “active combat zone.” It declined to answer questions about why the bodies were buried or why ambulances appeared crushed.
Mounting casualties among aid workers
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the workers had been missing since March 23, when Israel resumed an all-out offensive against the Hamas-led territory.
One additional Red Crescent staff member remains unaccounted for. The latest discovery raises the toll of killed relief personnel in Gaza to at least 408 since the war began, Lazzarini said.
Israeli officials maintain that on March 23, a convoy of vehicles—including ambulances and fire trucks—approached a military position without advance coordination or safety markings. They said they opened fire, killing “several militants” affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
UN officials and humanitarian agencies dispute the account, noting that the vehicles bore clear insignia, and that the site where bodies were uncovered had numerous indicators of violent destruction.
Video posted by Jonathan Whittall, an official with the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), showed Red Crescent crews digging near a mangled fire truck and a U.N. car.
War’s broader toll
Tensions remain high as Israel continues to target what it says are legitimate military objectives in Hamas-controlled Gaza.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 18-month conflict, which began when Hamas militants staged a deadly incursion into southern Israel in October 2023.
Israel disputes Palestinian casualty figures, arguing it is doing its utmost to minimize civilian harm.
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Source: Reuters, Guardian, Associated Press, Sky News