Israel’s war on Gaza’s healthcare: Over 1,400 medical workers killed in attacks
By isabelle // 2025-04-01
Copy
 
  • Israeli forces have killed over 1,400 medical personnel and destroyed 34 hospitals in Gaza since October 2023.
  • 14 rescue workers, including paramedics and a UN employee, were executed in Rafah, with some found handcuffed with gunshot wounds.
  • Gaza’s healthcare system is decimated, with 80 health centers and 142 ambulances destroyed, and doctors tortured in detention.
  • Mass graves reveal crushed ambulances and buried humanitarian workers, prompting global condemnation.
  • ICC issues arrest warrants for Israeli leaders as genocide accusations mount, but international action remains inadequate.
In a conflict marked by relentless brutality, the Israeli military has systematically dismantled Gaza’s healthcare system, killing more than 1,400 medical personnel and 111 civil defense workers since October 2023, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office. The latest atrocity—the execution of 14 rescue workers, including paramedics and a UN employee—has drawn global condemnation, exposing what human rights groups call a deliberate campaign of genocide. As evidence mounts of targeted killings, torture, and mass burials, the international community faces mounting pressure to hold Israel accountable for what many describe as war crimes.

A healthcare system under siege

The numbers are staggering: 34 hospitals bombed, 80 health centers destroyed, 162 medical institutions reduced to rubble, and 142 ambulances struck by Israeli forces. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports that over 1,000 doctors and nurses have been killed, with hundreds more arrested and at least three doctors tortured to death in Israeli detention centers. The most recent massacre occurred in Rafah’s Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, where 14 humanitarian workers—eight from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), six civil defense personnel, and one UNRWA employee—were executed while responding to a distress call. Disturbingly, some victims were found handcuffed with gunshot wounds to the head and chest, indicating a deliberate execution.

Mass graves and buried evidence

The bodies of the 14 workers were recovered from a shallow mass grave, where ambulances and fire trucks lay crushed beneath the sand. Jonathan Whittall, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza, described the scene as “an absolute horror. ”Seven days ago, Civil Defence and PRCS ambulances arrived at the scene. One by one they were hit, they were struck. Their bodies were gathered and buried in this mass grave. We're digging them out with uniforms, with their gloves on. They were here to save lives. Instead, they ended up in a mass grave," he said. The Israeli military initially claimed the vehicles were “suspicious” and accused Hamas of using them as cover—a frequent justification that aid groups dismiss as a smokescreen for indiscriminate killing.

International outrage

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) called the attack the “single most deadly” incident for their workers in nearly a decade. Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General, stated: “They wore emblems that should have protected them. Even in the most complex conflict zones, there are rules.” Yet Israel continues its assault with impunity. Since resuming its offensive on March 18, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed, half of them women and children. Hospitals like Nasser Medical Complex, Gaza’s largest remaining facility, have been repeatedly raided and bombed, with Israel alleging—without credible evidence—that they harbor Hamas militants.

A genocide unfolding

With over 50,000 Palestinians dead and 114,000 injured, Gaza’s health system is in ruins. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes, while the International Court of Justice (ICJ) weighs a genocide case. But as bodies pile up in mass graves and doctors are tortured in prisons, the world’s inaction speaks volumes. “No one can hold them accountable. Only God,” said Nasser Abu Labda, father of a slain medic, at his son’s funeral. For Gaza’s survivors, the message is clear: Israel’s war is not just against Hamas—it’s against the Palestinian people. And unless global powers intervene, the genocide will continue, one bullet, one bomb, and one buried ambulance at a time.   Sources for this article include: TheCradle.co MiddleEastMonitor.com CNN.com BBC.com MiddleEastMonitor.com
Copy