The United Nations has confirmed that 15 Palestinian medics and rescue workers were executed by Israeli forces in Gaza and buried in a mass grave in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The bodies were discovered this week after Israeli troops withdrew from the area, allowing Palestinian civil defense crews to access the bombed and bulldozed sites.
According to UN investigators and humanitarian personnel on the ground, the victims were clearly identifiable as medical staff—still in uniform, some wearing paramedic badges—when they were shot dead. Witnesses and forensic teams believe they were executed one by one at close range. Several had their hands bound.
The mass grave was located near the Nasser Hospital complex, an area that had been used by Israeli forces as a forward base during weeks of heavy fighting. The hospital itself was rendered inoperable, with reports of Israeli soldiers occupying medical wards, detaining staff, and targeting ambulances.
UN officials have condemned the killings as a likely war crime, demanding an independent investigation and accountability. “These were not combatants. They were healthcare workers, targeted and killed in violation of international humanitarian law,” a UN spokesperson said.
So far, the Israeli government has not responded to the allegations. In past statements, officials have accused Hamas of using hospitals and ambulances for military purposes—claims that have been widely challenged by humanitarian groups. No evidence has been presented to suggest the medics buried in Khan Younis were involved in any military activity.
Palestinian authorities are calling for immediate international pressure and a criminal probe into what they say is part of a broader Israeli policy of targeting emergency response teams in Gaza. Since the war began in October, hundreds of medical workers have been killed or wounded, and dozens of hospitals destroyed.
Israel’s war on Gaza is not just about bombs and blockades—it’s about erasing those who try to save lives. The discovery of 15 murdered medics in a mass grave isn’t a “tragedy.” It’s a war crime. And it’s time the world said so.
