Israel refuses to coordinate rescue operation for Palestinian paramedics trapped in Rafah

Israel refused to coordinate a rescue operation for paramedics stuck in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said.

In a statement, the agency said it lost contact with a team of paramedics in Rafah since early Sunday after Israeli forces besieged it amid a rescue mission.

“We are still awaiting a greenlight (from Israel) to reach out to the team in Rafah,” it added.

According to the organization, several paramedics were injured and four ambulances were besieged by Israeli forces in the city since Sunday.

The Israeli army ordered residents of the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood in western Rafah to evacuate on Sunday, forcing thousands to flee ahead of attacks in the area.

Tel Aviv also launched an intensive aerial campaign in the area Sunday night, killing and injuring several people.

The Israeli army has killed more than 700 Palestinians and injured over 1,000 since launching a surprise aerial campaign on Gaza last Tuesday, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 113,200 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.