Gaza Health Condemns Occupation's Arrest of Red Crescent Ambulance Crews on Salah al-Din Street

The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip condemned the Israeli occupation forces' arrest of seven ambulance personnel belonging to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society while they were carrying out their humanitarian duties on Salah al-Din Street, the main artery connecting the governorates of the Strip. The ministry affirmed that this action represents a direct assault on field medical work and a transgression of all immunities granted to medical teams by international conventions.

Medical sources reported that the occupation authorities later released five of the detained paramedics after they were subjected to intense and harsh security interrogation, while two members of the team remain under arrest at this moment. The ministry indicated that these practices aim to disrupt medical rescue operations and obstruct the access of essential ambulance services to the wounded and sick under the current circumstances.

The ministry emphasized in its statement that the continued targeting of the health system and obstruction of logistical teams' movements directly threatens the lives of citizens and constitutes a blatant violation of the rules of international humanitarian law. It called on international bodies to intervene immediately to protect medical teams and ensure they are not subjected to harm while performing their duty to save lives.

The deliberate targeting of medical teams and obstruction of their work constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and undermines efforts to provide urgent healthcare to citizens.