Gaza: The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, revealed that the number of aid workers killed in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing Israeli occupation aggression since October 7, 2023, has reached 408.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Lazzarini stated via the X platform that the killing of two other UNRWA employees, eight from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, and first responders has brought the number of aid workers killed in Gaza since the beginning of the war about a year and a half ago to 408, including 280 from UNRWA. He emphasized the need to protect civilians at all times and ensure accountability for violations.

Lazzarini added that the body of a colleague killed in Rafah was found along with the aid workers from the Palestine Red Crescent, all of whom were buried in shallow graves. He described this as a grave violation of human dignity, stressing that civilians must be protected whether on the front lines or in their homes with families.

He also highlighted that targeting emergency responders, journalists, and relief workers, or endangering them, represents a blatant disregard for international law. In Gaza, this killing has become routine, which he insists should not be the new reality. Accountability must be ensured, as international law applies to everyone without exception.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society announced the recovery of the bodies of several paramedics killed when Israeli forces opened fire on ambulances in the Gaza Strip. Contact with these paramedics was lost for over a week when they headed to the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood to treat injured individuals trapped there. They were directly shot by Israeli forces.