In brief
The mother of 23-year-old Palestinian paramedic Rifaat Radwan, who was killed by Israeli troops while on duty, expressed her profound grief as she recalls the tragic circumstances surrounding his death. The incident has raised serious questions about Israel's military actions and the protection of medical personnel in conflict zones.
"My heart and soul died when Rifaat was killed," shares Hajjah Umm Mohammed, the grieving mother of Palestinian paramedic Rifaat Radwan, who was one of 15 emergency workers recently shot dead by Israeli troops in southern Gaza. Radwan, just 23, was traveling in an ambulance when his convoy came under fire on March 23. Umm Mohammed never imagined her son, volunteering with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), would become a victim in a region classified as 'green', considered safe for emergency vehicles.The Israeli military initially claimed they opened fire due to the convoy approaching suspiciously in darkness. However, video evidence found on Rafaat’s phone after his body was recovered indicates the ambulance lights were indeed on, as they responded to reports of casualties from an Israeli airstrike. "Forgive me, mother... this is the path I chose to help people," Rafaat said in the footage, revealing the tragic foresight he had prior to his violent death.Umm Mohammed, who fondly recalls her son as a brave humanitarian actively involved in transporting wounded individuals, described the heart-wrenching moment they went to Nasser hospital to retrieve his body instead of celebrating Eid al-Fitr as a family. The condition of his remains was such that she was not permitted to view him. Following the incident, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) revised their account after the emergence of video evidence and acknowledged their actions resulted in a tragic mistake. Initially asserting that the emergency workers were perceived as a threat, Israeli officials later admitted to misjudgments concerning the location's safety status. The PRCS has demanded an independent international inquiry into the killings, declaring them a violation of humanitarian law.As international scrutiny mounts, fellow paramedic Munther Abed, who survived the incident, recounted a harrowing experience of being arrested while witnessing his colleagues' deaths. He reported facing physical and verbal abuse during interrogation, further highlighting the dangers faced by emergency personnel in conflict zones.In a statement regarding the tragedy, the IDF announced its commitment to conduct a thorough investigation, while voices calling for justice regarding the killings continue to grow louder. The broader context reveals the escalating violence since October 2023, with over 50,000 fatalities reported in Gaza due to ongoing conflicts, underscoring the human cost of the war.
