aza Herald – Early this morning, Israel committed yet another atrocity in Gaza, this time striking the very people racing to save lives. Civil Defense teams, firefighters, and rescue officers were directly targeted as they worked to pull victims from the rubble of Al-Falah School in Gaza City’s al-Zaytoun neighborhood, a shelter for displaced families bombed without warning.
Seven officers were wounded in the attack, two critically: Colonel Tarek Ziyad Hamad, Director of Tel al-Hawa Civil Defense Center, and Rescue Officer Mundher Raed al-Dahshan.
This was no accident. Israel deliberately targeted the Civil Defense crew only minutes after they arrived at the school, while they wore official uniforms and stood beside clearly marked rescue vehicles.
This calculated strike was designed not just to kill, but to paralyze Gaza’s ability to respond to mass casualties. It marks the 27th attack on Civil Defense teams in the field and the 11th strike on their stations since the genocide began, a systematic campaign against Gaza’s humanitarian lifeline.
Under international law, first responders are protected personnel. Yet Israel has repeatedly violated this, turning medics, firefighters, and rescue workers into targets of war. By striking those who save lives, Israel is committing clear war crimes and intensifying the genocidal campaign against Palestinians.
These are not “tragic accidents” of war — they are intentional acts of extermination, stripping Gaza not only of its civilians but also of those who try to keep them alive.
Despite the atrocity, Gaza’s Civil Defense has declared it will continue its mission. Crews vow to keep carrying out their national and humanitarian duty under fire, refusing to abandon the people who depend on them.
