Israeli forces arrest paramedics in Gaza

The Palestinian Ministry of Health condemned the arrest by Israeli occupation forces on Tuesday morning of seven members of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society’s ambulance crews while they were performing their humanitarian duties. This incident reflects the continued targeting of healthcare workers during emergency operations.

The Ministry explained that the occupation forces later released five of the crew members they arrested while working on Salah al-Din Street, after interrogating them, while two remain in detention.

Meanwhile, hospitals in the Gaza Strip recorded the arrival of eight martyrs and 34 wounded in the past 24 hours. A number of victims remain trapped under rubble and in the streets, as ambulance and civil defense teams have been unable to reach them due to the field conditions and the disruption of rescue operations.

According to the Ministry’s data, the total number of victims since the ceasefire on October 10 has reached 978 martyrs and 3,097 wounded, in addition to 782 bodies recovered.

The cumulative death toll since the start of the aggression on October 7, 2023, has risen to 72,988 martyrs and 173,205 wounded, reflecting the widening scope of human losses and the continued strain on the health system.

The Ministry called for the immediate release of the detained ambulance drivers, stressing that targeting medical personnel and obstructing their work constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law and undermines the ability of health institutions to provide care and emergency services to the population amidst the escalating crisis.