Gaza Herald – Gaza’s Civil Defense has appealed to the International Civil Defense Organization (ICDO) and its member states for urgent intervention to support its emergency response capabilities, warning that rescue operations are being severely hampered by widespread destruction, repeated attacks, and a critical shortage of equipment and protective gear.
In a letter addressed to the organization’s secretary-general, the Civil Defense said its crews continue to recover victims from beneath the rubble, extinguish fires, respond to airstrikes, and rescue civilians despite working under constant threat. It noted that a number of its personnel have been killed while carrying out humanitarian missions, while fire stations, rescue vehicles, and operational facilities have been damaged or destroyed.
The agency stressed that civil defense personnel are protected under international humanitarian law, and that targeting or obstructing their work constitutes a violation of those legal protections. It called on the ICDO to take a more active role in supporting Gaza’s emergency services in line with its humanitarian mandate.
The Civil Defense urged the organization to provide firefighting and rescue equipment, emergency vehicles, protective gear, and technical support, while also dispatching professional assessment missions to evaluate urgent field needs and develop a plan to rebuild the sector’s operational capacity.
It also called on ICDO member states to mobilize financial, logistical, and humanitarian assistance to ensure the continuity of rescue services and strengthen civilian protection amid Gaza’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Concluding its appeal, the Civil Defense warned that “the world’s silence over the suffering of rescue teams threatens not only emergency workers but also civilians’ right to receive life-saving assistance in their darkest moments,” stressing that its personnel are not seeking privileges but simply the ability to carry out their humanitarian mission safely and in accordance with international law.
