**HAMILTON, Canada**
The UN on Tuesday called the killing by Israel of Palestinian medics and first responders who were on a rescue mission in the southern Gaza Strip as "unacceptable."
"We've had 283 of our colleagues, UNRWA (UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees) colleagues, killed in Gaza since Oct. 7," 2023, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference, adding that at least "408 humanitarians, aid workers killed since the ceasefire broke down."
“All of that is unacceptable. Any targeting of humanitarian workers, of ambulance drivers who are doing their job is unacceptable," he said.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society announced Sunday the recovery of 14 bodies after the Israeli attack. The victims included eight Red Crescent workers, five Civil Defense personnel and a staff member from a UN agency.
It came days after the Palestinian Civil Defense reported it recovered the body of a team member who was killed by Israeli forces, raising the death toll from the attack to 15.
"We will continue to press for investigations. We'll continue to press for answers," stressed Dujarric.
When asked what an investigation into the deaths of medics and humanitarian workers would look like, Dujarric said: "For the Israeli authorities to explain to us how these humanitarian workers happen to have been killed by Israeli fire, including one of our own colleagues."
He was also asked whether the UN would seek a "neutral" investigation.
"We want something to be done transparently, and we want information to be shared," he said.
The medics were targeted March 23 by the Israeli army as they headed to provide first aid to the victims of an Israeli shelling in the Al-Hashashin area.
The attack in Rafah against the Palestine Red Crescent and the Civil Defense highlighted the dangers faced by humanitarian workers in Gaza, who risk their lives to save others and deliver aid.
The horrific crime triggered wide condemnation from international rights and UN groups, who demanded answers for the killings.
Israel began a surprise aerial campaign on Gaza on March 18 and has since killed more than 1,000 victims and injured over 2,000, shattering a January ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.
More than 50,300 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in Israel's military onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
[Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. **Please contact us for subscription options.**](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/p/subscription/1001)