Palestine Red Crescent president demands independent probe into Israeli crimes in Gaza

The president of the Palestine Red Crescent Society yesterday called for an independent investigation into Israeli crimes in the Gaza Strip and for those responsible to be held accountable, Anadolu reported.

Younis Al-Khatib’s remarks came during his speech at a session to discuss the escalating Israeli aggression against Palestinians before the UN Security Council in New York where he  underlined the need to provide protection for humanitarian workers in Gaza, warning of the complete collapse of the humanitarian system in the besieged enclave.

He also demanded that the Israeli military provide information about one of the members of the Red Crescent team who went missing in the Tel Al-Sultan neighbourhood of Rafah in southern Gaza.

He reiterated that the Israeli siege on Gaza violates international humanitarian law, calling for aid to be sent to Gaza immediately and for the crossings to be opened.

Al-Khatib pointed out that the Palestine Red Crescent has lost 30 of its staff members in Gaza, including eight in the incident in the Tel Al-Sultan neighbourhood.

On 23 March, the Palestine Red Crescent announced that it had sent four ambulances and medical crews to rescue the injured from an Israeli attack in Rafah. They disappeared after coming under attack from Israeli occupation forces.

After being obstructed by Israel, international teams were finally able to enter the area where the medics disappeared and found their bodies buried under the sand. Medical vehicles had also been crushed and buried.

Israel buries bodies & vehicles of medics it killed in Gaza