Palestinian Civil Defence spokesperson in Gaza Mahmoud Basal has said: “The repercussions on us as a Palestinian population are very dire, namely on the relief workers, paramedics and Civil Defence teams,” Al Jazeera reports.

“Does the international community wish to see health workers stop fulfilling their humanitarian mission? If those culprits go unpunished and this crime and the Israelis continue to act with impunity, they will continue to perpetrate more war crimes and more pogroms across the Palestinian population,” he said.

He added that they fear worse in the future as more paramedics, ambulance and civil defence crews could be targeted and assassinated, saying, “This means the population is doomed, and the relief workers will not be able to perform their duties.”

“We hope the international community, human rights organisations, and other legal organs take firm measures against the Israeli forces and the perpetrators held to account.

“Due protection must be provided to healthcare workers — this vest I’m wearing is supposed to protect me, which is cherished under international humanitarian law and international treaties,” Basal concluded.