Image Source: The New York Times
Occupied Gaza – Last month, the Israeli military claimed that the killing of 15 Palestinian medics was justified because their vehicles were “advancing suspiciously” without headlights or emergency signals. But video footage from the scene tells a very different story.
In the footage, Red Crescent and Civil Defense teams are seen moving carefully, their emergency lights flashing and medical logos visible, as they respond to an earlier attack on an ambulance.
The person filming, identified as Palestinian paramedic Refaat Radwan, can be heard praying and calling out to his mother: “Forgive me, Mother… this is the path I chose to help people. The army has arrived.” In a chilling attempt to erase the evidence, Israeli forces reportedly buried him and 14 of his fellow medics at the scene.
Dr Ayesha Jacub from Healthcare Workers for Palestine stated that being a healthcare worker in Gaza is like being a soldier because medics are targeted just as much as military personnel.
“We can’t allow ourselves—and we won’t be fully immune—to this kind of horror and dehumanisation. I mean, there were eight medical staff, six Civil Defense workers, and five ambulances that were systematically shot down. I think there was a first group that was killed, and some of the other rescue workers went in to try and help them.”
Moreover, given that the video footage contradicts the Israeli military’s initial statement, Dr Jacub explained this follows a consistent pattern of theirs—to lie and claim that the Palestinians killed are either terrorists or members of Hamas.
“It’s almost like an algorithm or like a modus operandi from the Israeli military. It’s first denial, then—yes, but actually—we found evidence to show that you’re lying. Then, they retract a bit. Never, never an admission. And always, it’s a typical move from the IDF playbook.”
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What Should Be Done in Professional Spaces
Dr Jacub emphasised the need for global accountability beyond just statements of condemnation. She urged healthcare professionals and institutions around the world to refuse platforms to Israeli doctors and medical institutions complicit in or silent about the targeting of their Palestinian counterparts.
She stressed the importance of applying ethical pressure through boycotts and institutional isolation, calling for the global medical community to stand in solidarity by challenging a system that continuously enables and justifies violence against healthcare workers.
“You can’t ask a bully to stop bullying. What incentive do they have to stop when they hold the power? You also can’t trust the bully’s friends to stop them because they have vested interests and similar agendas. So what are we going to do as the global community?”
