A team of staff members and volunteers from both the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Palestinian Red Crescent was reportedly attacked during a rescue mission in the Gaza Strip late Thursday night, the ICRC reported on Friday.
The team had been attempting to locate an ICRC worker and their family, with whom contact had been lost since July 4, amid the ongoing conflict.
The ICRC stated that during the operation, two individuals, an ICRC representative and a Palestinian Red Crescent volunteer, were injured by gunfire. The ICRC confirmed that both were quickly evacuated and received medical treatment.
Their condition is now described as stable. However, the ICRC noted that efforts to reestablish contact with the worker or their family have been unsuccessful so far.
According to the ICRC, the mission was reportedly conducted in coordination with the relevant authorities, and all vehicles involved were clearly marked with the Red Cross and Red Crescent symbols and illuminated for visibility. The ICRC also maintained constant communication with local authorities throughout the operation.
The attack, which is the second such incident in less than a week, has been condemned by the ICRC. The organization emphasized that under international humanitarian law, it is prohibited to target medical teams and humanitarian workers.
The ICRC further urged all parties to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of medical personnel and to respect the internationally recognized symbols of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
The IDF responded to The Jerusalem Post's request for comment, saying, "Last night (Thursday), we received a report regarding an injury to a Red Cross worker caused by gunfire from IDF forces. The details of the incident are currently under investigation."
"The IDF is actively targeting terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip and is making every effort to minimize harm to civilians. As a general principle, the IDF deeply regrets any harm caused to non-involved individuals."
Gaza Red Crescent medics killed by IDF in March incident
This incident comes against the backdrop of mounting concerns over attacks on medical workers in Gaza, following the Israeli military's admission of responsibility for killing Palestinian Red Crescent medics in March.
This incident comes against the backdrop of mounting concerns over attacks on medical workers in Gaza, following the IDF's admission of responsibility for killing Palestinian Red Crescent medics in March.
On March 23, IDF troops killed 14 International Red Crescent medics and seriously wounded another during what investigators later determined was a catastrophic series of identification failures near Tel Sultan in Rafah. The incident, which the IDF's own probe characterized as one of the war's most serious friendly-fire episodes, has resulted in the dismissal of a deputy Golani commander and formal censure of a brigade chief.
The IDF's internal investigation, led by Major General Yoav Har-Even, revealed that the incident actually comprised four separate failures: two cases where ambulances were wrongly identified as threats, a deliberate attack on a UN vehicle in violation of rules of engagement, and improper handling of bodies afterward. Most troubling to investigators was the third incident, where IDF forces knowingly fired on a clearly marked UN vehicle, allegedly to force it to leave a dangerous area—a direct violation of IDF protocols.
The investigation exposed significant procedural breakdowns beyond the shooting itself. After killing the medics, soldiers buried the bodies in sand and notified the UN that they could retrieve them in 48 hours. However, when UN personnel arrived on March 27, they found only one body. The IDF acknowledged the burial may not have been deep enough for proper location, requiring a senior official to reposition the remains closer to the surface before successful recovery on March 30.
The probe noted that while Hamas frequently uses ambulances and hospitals as shields, this context did not justify the soldiers' actions, particularly since they were unaware of any terrorist connections at the time of the shooting. Six of the 15 medics later proved to be Hamas members, but investigators emphasized this after-the-fact information could not retroactively justify the soldiers' intent during the attack.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.