Fifty-one humanitarian workers have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has revealed.
A staff member of the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), Omar Isleem, was tragically killed during a nighttime assault in Gaza on Saturday, while two colleagues and a civilian attempting to extinguish fire sustained injuries.
The attack occurred when a facility bearing the Red Crescent emblem was hit multiple times, violating international humanitarian law. The IFRC reports a total of 51 employees of the Palestine Red Crescent Society have been killed since the conflict started in Gaza.
“A total of 51 PRCS staff and volunteers have lost their lives during this conflict. Of these, 31 — including 29 in Gaza and two in the West Bank — were killed while on duty, wearing the Red Crescent emblem that should have guaranteed their protection under international humanitarian law,” reads part of the statement.
Jagan Chapagain, the Secretary General of IFRC, expressed his outrage at the attack on aid personnel and facilities, emphasizing the need for their protection.
"I am horrified and appalled by news of this attack. I cannot stress enough that humanitarian workers and facilities must be protected. It's a moral and legal imperative," says Chapagain.
This incident marks not the first-time humanitarian workers have been targeted in Gaza. In June 2025, five aid workers were killed, and others were injured in a bus attack in the region.
In July 2025, air raids resulted in the deaths of 14 Palestinians, while others were killed while trying to obtain food aid in Gaza. Two American humanitarian workers also faced injuries in an assault at a food distribution point in Southern Gaza.
The United Nations Security Council has repeatedly condemned attacks against humanitarian workers. In April 2025, Joyce Msuya, the Assistant Secretary General at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA), stated that those responsible for assaults on aid workers must be held accountable.
