The bodies of several paramedics reported missing after an Israeli attack in Gaza have been discovered, the Palestinian Red Crescent (PRCS) said on Sunday.
Rescuers discovered 14 bodies in Rafah, including those of eight paramedics, the PRCS said in a statement. The remains of five members of the Hamas-controlled emergency organization Palestinian Civil Defence and one UN staff member were also recovered.
The humanitarian organization announced on Saturday that nine paramedics had been missing for a week in southern Gaza after coming under heavy fire from Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli authorities had prevented a rescue team from searching for the missing individuals in the area of the Tal al-Sultan refugee camp, the organization said.
The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on several vehicles last Sunday after they approached troops in a suspicious manner, without coordination or headlights. Israeli officials said the soldiers had killed members of the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad groups.
Military officials said an initial investigation revealed that some of the vehicles were ambulances and fire trucks. The army accused Hamas of misusing ambulances for terrorist purposes, but has not commented on the fate of the missing paramedics.
The claims from both sides cannot be independently verified at this time. According to the PRCS, the search for additional bodies is ongoing.
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