The United States has called for “all parties on the ground” in Gaza to comply with international humanitarian law, amidst growing concerns over the recent killing of 15 individuals, including paramedics, civil defense workers, and a UN official by the Israeli military. While the US has refrained from confirming whether it is conducting its own investigation into the incident, it remains firm in its stance that all parties must adhere to humanitarian laws during the ongoing conflict. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce commented that “every single thing that happens in Gaza is happening because of Hamas,” a statement that has sparked debates regarding accountability in the region.
The killings, which took place on March 23, saw five ambulances, a fire truck, and a UN vehicle hit one by one, according to the UN’s humanitarian agency. The attack resulted in the deaths of 15 individuals, including paramedics who were still in their uniforms when they were found in a mass grave. The Israeli military stated that its forces had targeted vehicles “advancing suspiciously” without headlights or emergency signals, claiming that a Hamas operative and other militants were among those killed. However, they did not address the discovery of the mass grave or the accounts of the bodies being buried in the sand.
International humanitarian law explicitly prohibits the targeting of civilians and offers specific protections for medical personnel. This has raised further concerns about the conduct of both parties involved in the conflict. The US, as Israel’s primary arms supplier, is also bound by its own laws, which prohibit the use of US-made weapons by foreign military forces in violation of international humanitarian standards.
Jonathan Whittall, head of the UN’s humanitarian agency in Gaza, condemned the attack, calling the creation of a mass grave an “absolute horror.” He emphasized that healthcare workers, especially those working under difficult conditions, should never be considered legitimate targets.
The violence in Gaza has escalated since March 18, following the collapse of ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 1,000 people have been killed in the region since then, bringing the death toll during the conflict to over 50,000. The war, which began after a major cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, continues to inflict immense casualties and devastation on the civilian population in Gaza.
