For eight agonising days, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) repeated the same haunting words: “Their fate remains unknown”.

For eight days, I searched feverishly, refreshing news pages for updates, desperately seeking answers. We cannot simply bear witness. We must honour Mostafa Khufaga, Saleh Muamer, Ezzedine Shaath, Mohammad Bahloul, Mohammed Al-Heila, Ashraf Abu Labda, Raed Al-Sharif, and Rifaat Radwan, who paid the ultimate price, for the good of humanity.

Rules exist everywhere, even in war. The international rules-based order was founded on the promise that even in war, humanity would prevail. The wounded would be treated and people who save lives would be protected, not deliberately targeted.

But in Gaza, that promise lies in ruins. The medic massacre of eight PRCS workers is not merely a war crime; it is an assault on the very essence of international humanitarian law and justice. It is an attack on humanity itself, marking one of our darkest hours.

First responders take tremendous risks to reach the injured and the vulnerable. Yet, the PRCS has been obstructed by Israeli forces long before October 2023. Israeli tanks block their passage, and checkpoints force them to undergo searches to delay and deny them entry—obstacles no other ambulance service in the world faces.

On March 23, 2025, when the news first broke that PRCS teams had been besieged in Rafah, time froze. My heartbeat increased, my anxiety escalated, and yet, after bearing witness to atrocity after atrocity, nothing could have prepared me for the overwhelming grief and mourning that would envelop me.

As Palestinians, we have been trapped in a constant state of grief and mourning. Israel had just unilaterally shattered the ceasefire and increased the scale of its genocide against Palestinians. Emboldened, my worst fears grew, and eight days later, reality shattered me.

It was far worse than I could have possibly imagined. Eight heroic PRCS volunteers were brutally massacred in a direct attack on medical workers, the Geneva Conventions, and International Humanitarian Law. They were found shot at point-blank range, buried under sand in a mass grave, some with their hands tied. Four ambulances were destroyed. Alongside them lay six Gaza Civil Defence members and one UN worker.

This is the largest massacre of humanitarian workers in modern warfare.

Since October 2023, 30 members of the PRCS have been killed. Each time they respond to an emergency, they know they are a target. They leave their homes with smiles, and some never return – killed in their own ambulances.

Yet, they endure – for the good of humanity.

The footage Refaat Radwan recorded of the massacre before his own death shook me to my core. The medics, knowing their fate, recited the Shahada, the Muslim declaration of faith. One asks, “Forgive me, Mother. Mother, forgive me. This is the path I chose. To help people. Forgive me, Mother. By God, I only chose this path to help people. Forgive me.”

This is what broke me. The raw, gut-wrenching truth. There are no words.

Hassan Hosni Al-Hilla was too sick to take his shift that night, so his 21-year-old son, Mohammad, covered it. Little did he know, it would be his last.

I ask: What could be more selfless than the men and women of PRCS—often entire families volunteering together—enduring the same brutal conditions as the rest of Gaza, yet risking their lives against a genocidal military, all to provide urgent, life-saving care?

The Red Cross and Red Crescent are universal symbols of hope, protection, and humanity. They are internationally recognised emblems of neutrality and protection during peace and conflict. They are meant to guarantee the safety of humanitarian workers. Yet, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the PRCS has continually been targeted.

Though neutrality remains a contested concept, it is crucial to ensuring humanitarian workers can deliver aid and maintain access in crises like this.

Last November, as a member of the Sydney Peace Prize Jury and Council, I proudly awarded the Sydney Peace Prize to the 16 million-strong network of volunteers and staff of the International Federation and Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. When awarding the 2024 Prize, the Jury particularly acknowledged the PRCS, which, operating in the most dangerous conditions, has been attacked, tortured, or forcibly disappeared, with ambulances and facilities damaged or destroyed. The jury was determined to honour their courage, determination, and resilience.

The PRCS has been working day and night to provide life-saving aid to two million women, men and children in Gaza, enduring relentless bombardment, displacement and starvation by Israel in what Amnesty International and the UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese have determined to be genocide.

Emergency Medical technician Hanadi says she has witnessed colleagues leave smiling only to return killed in their own ambulances. She knows they are a target whenever they are on a mission. They visit a site that has been struck, knowing they may well be struck too.

The Red Crescent symbol emblazoned on their ambulances and on their uniforms should guarantee their protection. They should never be a target.

The Geneva Conventions and International Humanitarian Law distinguish between civilians and enemy combatants, defining the rules of war. Yet in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, international law has been defied over and over – horror after horror, war crime after war crime.

Civilians, humanitarians, medical workers and journalists are specifically protected, but no one and nowhere is safe in Gaza. Homes, schools, shelters, hospitals, and places of worship have all come under attack or been destroyed.

While we once debated who struck Al-Ahli Hospital in October 2023, today, the entire medical system in Gaza has collapsed.

Furthermore, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, remains imprisoned.

We must demand justice. We must ensure that the perpetrators of the Gaza medic massacre, one of the most shameful periods in modern history, are held accountable. They must be brought to trial and face justice.

We must defend the Red Cross and Red Crescent emblems. We must protect the brave, selfless teams that embody the best of us. We must uphold International Humanitarian Law and the promise of the Geneva Conventions because, for the good of humanity, we cannot afford to fail.

Mohamed Duar is a member of Sydney Peace Prize Jury and Council. He is also Amnesty International Australia’s Occupied Palestinian Territory Spokesperson. He holds a Master of Human Rights from the University of Sydney.

The article was originally published in The New Arab: The Gaza medic massacre is an attack on all of humanity on 25 April, 2025

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Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) will be in Sydney to accept Australia’s international prize for peace, which recognises leading global voices who advocate for peace, for justice and for our common humanity. 

As we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Geneva Conventions, we face unprecedented challenges to International Humanitarian Law. It’s in this context that the 2024 Sydney Peace Prize honours a remarkable movement of over 16 million people. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are recognised for its advocacy for peace, for its work saving lives and preventing the suffering of people affected by armed conflict, and for its commitment to International Humanitarian Law.

Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the IFRC, said: “This award is a testament to the dedication of our 191 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ staff and volunteers. Many are working in some of the most challenging and dangerous environments in the world. Their dedication reflects the fundamental principles and values that define our Movement.”

Melanie Morrison, Sydney Peace Foundation Director, said: “In a year of immense humanitarian need and suffering, this international Movement is there to support those targeted in conflicts across the globe – from Sudan to Syria, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Israel and Lebanon, and Ukraine, Afghanistan to Yemen. The Movement’s unwavering commitment to principles of international humanitarian law remind us that humanity must always come first.”

University of Sydney Vice-President, External Relations, Kirsten Andrews, said: “The University congratulates the Sydney Peace Foundation and City of Sydney in awarding this year’s Sydney Peace Prize to the International Red Cross and the Red Crescent Movement, in recognition of the ongoing and vital importance of their work during a time of increasing global conflict.”

“The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is saving lives every day in more than 191 countries and is a deserving recipient of the 2024 Sydney Peace Prize,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore AO, said. “This movement of more than 16 million humanitarians works in shockingly difficult and dangerous circumstances to provide a lifeline to those suffering in over 100 armed conflicts around the world.

“My congratulations and thanks to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Your courageous and critical work is inspiring and reminds us of how precious it is to live in peace.”

The Sydney Peace Prize Lecture and Award ceremony is on Monday 18 November at 6:30pm at Sydney Town Hall and the Gala Dinner is being held on Thursday 21 November at the Sheraton Grand, Hyde Park.  This year the Sydney Peace Prize award funds will be directed to support the humanitarian work of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

The Sydney Peace Prize Lecture and Award ceremony is on Monday 18 November from 6:30pm to 8pm at the Sydney Town Hall. Tickets are available here.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT MOVEMENT

191 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies together constitute a worldwide humanitarian movement. Its mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found. It’s to protect life and health and ensure respect for the human being, in particular in times of armed conflict and other emergencies. It’s also to work for the prevention of disease and for the promotion of health and social welfare, to encourage voluntary service and a constant readiness to give help by the members of the Movement, and a universal sense of solidarity towards all those in need of its protection and assistance.

The Movement is guided by the Geneva Conventions and its Fundamental Principles: Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity and Universality.

ABOUT THE SYDNEY PEACE PRIZE

The Sydney Peace Prize is Australia’s international prize for peace, awarded by the Sydney Peace Foundation at the University of Sydney. The Prize recognises leading global voices that promote peace, justice and nonviolence. Laureates include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mary Robinson, Joseph Stiglitz, Patrick Dodson, Naomi Klein, the Black Lives Matter Global Network and the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

The Foundation advocates for peace with justice – recognising that to achieve true and lasting peace, we must, beyond ending war and violent conflict, address deep injustices and structural inequality.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

Melanie Morrison, Director, Sydney Peace Foundation 

E: melanie.morrison@sydney.edu.au 

M: 0401 996 451 

University of Sydney media office

E: media.office@sydney.edu.au

M:  +61 2 8627 0246 (diverts to mobile)

Australian Red Cross Media

E: media@redcross.org.au 

Ph: 1800 733 443

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We are living in an era of overlapping crises: from climate catastrophe to devastating wars, alongside the age-old ravages of inequality at home and across the globe. As these struggles escalate, many ordinary people are questioning their own responsibility, and possibility their complicity, in these disasters. What prospects are there for responding? What avenues for meaningful action?

With the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine, these concerns have come into sharper focus. This panel of experts, with a particular focus on the context of financialised globalisation, will examine some of these uncomfortable questions, and our moral and ethical obligations to address adverse human rights and climate justice impacts.

Professor David Kinley holds the Chair in Human Rights Law at the University of Sydney Law School. David has worked for 25 years as a consultant and adviser on international and domestic human rights law in (or with agencies from) China, Vietnam, Indonesia, South Africa, Bangladesh, Thailand, Iraq, Nepal, Laos, the Pacific Islands, and Myanmar. His particular expertise is in human rights and the global economy, focusing on the respective roles and responsibilities of corporations and states.

Dr Claire Parfitt is a Lecturer in Political Economy at the University of Sydney, where she completed her doctorate in 2020. A critical engagement with ethical investing and corporate sustainability, her research contributes to debates in the social studies of finance, moral philosophy, economic geography, cultural economy, intellectual property and interdisciplinary accounting literatures.

Dr Richard Denniss: Executive Director of the Australia Institute. Richard is a prominent Australian economist, author and public policy commentator, and has spent the last twenty years moving between policy-focused roles in academia, federal politics and think-tanks. He was also a Lecturer in Economics at the university of Newcastle and former Associate Professor in the Crawford School of Public Policy at ANU. He is a regular contributor to The Monthly and the author of several books including: Econobabble, Curing Affluenza and Dead Right: How Neoliberalism Ate Itself and What Comes Next?

This panel will take the form of an extended Q&A. Please consider sending your questions in the registration form.

This event is hosted by the Sydney Peace Foundation with the support of the University of Sydney and the Australia Institute.

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In a year marking the 75^th anniversary of the adoption of the Geneva Conventions, and amid unprecedented challenges to International Humanitarian Law, the work of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is as important as it has ever been.

The Peace Prize jury selected the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement from a field of strong and worthy candidates, recognising the impact and great significance of the humanitarian network of 16 million volunteers and staff spanning more than 191 countries. The prize will be awarded for “saving lives and preventing the suffering of people affected by armed conflict, for its advocacy for peace, and for its commitment to International Humanitarian Law”.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was officially announced as the recipient of the Sydney Peace Prize at an event held at Sydney Town Hall on Thursday, 18 June during a ceremony attended by Sydney Peace Foundation patron and Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore and Australian Red Cross Chief Executive Officer Penny Harrison.  

In accepting the award on behalf of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Ms Harrison thanked the Sydney Peace Foundation for recognising the Movement’s longstanding commitment to alleviating human suffering during times of conflict and advancing international humanitarian law.

“There are currently more than 100 armed conflicts globally creating unprecedented humanitarian needs. Through our Humanitarian Principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement navigates where others cannot, providing vital protection and support to those most in need, including those in the world’s most volatile and complex humanitarian landscapes,” she said.

President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Kate Forbes said the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was humbled to accept the 2024 Sydney Peace Prize.

 “This award pays tribute to the dedication and bravery of our volunteers and staff who work tirelessly in the most challenging and dangerous environments, often risking their lives to help others. 

“It also acknowledges the courageous work of our National Societies, particularly during the ongoing global conflicts where tragically we have lost many of our people including 20 members of the Palestinian Red Crescent, four members of Magen David Adom and four members of the Sudanese Red Crescent since October of last year,” she said. 

Melanie Morrison, Director of the Sydney Peace Foundation said: “Wherever civilians are threatened by conflict, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is steadfast and courageous in its support for their rights and dignity even when facing increasing risk to their own safety and security. This year the Sydney Peace Prize particularly acknowledges the brave members of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society working in Gaza under dangerous conditions.”

City of Sydney Lord Mayor and Sydney Peace Foundation Patron Clover Moore said: “Red Cross/Crescent teams are working tirelessly, in shockingly difficult and dangerous circumstances, to save lives and reduce suffering.

“Working in conditions unknown in modern times, 20 Palestinian Red Crescent Society volunteers have been killed, giving their lives while working to provide a lifeline to two million Palestinians. As the crisis in Gaza continues to worsen, the Sydney Peace Prize serves to recognise their selfless, brave and heroic service and repeat calls for leaders to put an end to this unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and deliver peace and justice for all.”

The Sydney Peace Prize will be formally awarded to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement later in the year, when Kate Forbes, the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, will travel to Australia to attend the Sydney Peace Foundation’s annual lecture on 18 November at Sydney Town Hall. 

The Sydney Peace Foundation, supported by the University of Sydney and the City of Sydney, is now in its 26th year of promoting peace with justice.  Past laureates include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Professor Joseph Stiglitz, Naomi Klein, Chair of The Elders Mary Robinson, Professor Noam Chomsky and The Black Lives Matter and Me-Too Movements.  We have also had the privilege of honouring Nelson Mandela, among others, with our Human Rights Award.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

To arrange an interview with Australian Red Cross Interim CEO, Ms Penny Harrison, please contact Australian Red Cross Media by calling 1800 733 443.

Melanie Morrison, Director, Sydney Peace Foundation 

E: melanie.morrison@sydney.edu.au 

M: 0401 996 451 

University of Sydney media office

E: media.office@sydney.edu.au

M:  +61 2 8627 0246 (diverts to mobile)

Australian Red Cross Media

E: media@redcross.org.au 

Ph: 1800 733 443

I

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For 26 years, the Sydney Peace Foundation has recognized and applauded movements for peace and justice. At this time of heightened protest against war crimes committed in Israel and Palestine, we remain committed to the advancement of non-violent solutions to conflict and adherence to international human rights law.

As a foundation of the University of Sydney, the Sydney Peace Foundation acknowledges and welcomes the institution’s long-standing commitment to free speech, academic freedom, and the right of staff and students to assemble and protest peacefully and safely.

We support the call by students and University of Sydney staff for the university to cut its ties with the weapons industry. And, for a ban on weapons exports from our nation to Israel, including any arms parts.

We support, too, the call for the University of Sydney to ensure that it is not accepting funding from companies that profit from the violence in Gaza, the West Bank and in Israel.

Universities have a role to play in the protection of freedom of speech, especially when such speech or protest calls for an end to oppression and mass murder. 

The Sydney Peace Foundation reiterates our call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and an end to the siege on Gaza. This latest assault is part of a decades-long crisis that can only be brought to a just outcome through dialogue and respect for international humanitarian law.

The post The right to protest to end injustice appeared first on Sydney Peace Foundation.

At a time of mounting geopolitical conflicts, increasing poverty levels and the escalating impacts of climate change, it is women who bear the greatest burden.

The United Nations reminds us that more than 600 million women and girls currently live in war zones. We cannot ignore the dire and disproportionate toll of conflict on women and girls from Sudan to the Ukraine and Myanmar to Palestine – where UN Women estimates that two mothers have been killed by Israeli forces every hour in Gaza in the past five months.

It is widely acknowledged that the involvement of women in peace making processes contributes to a more sustainable, lasting peace – yet so often women do not get a seat at the negotiating table. Not only that, all forms of gender apartheid must be called out, underscored by the Sydney Peace Foundation’s 2023 peace prize recognition of the Woman Life Freedom movement and its stance against oppression of women in Iran and worldwide.

On this International Women’s Day, while conflict rages across the globe, we must recommit to peace with women’s voices at the centre. Let us come together to build a more equitable, just & inclusive world for all.

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The UN and other aid organisations have united to warn of “catastrophic consequences for the people of Gaza” if donor countries do not resume funding to UNRWA.

In the past four months, more than 27,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza with over 65,000 injured and over 1.7 million Palestinians internally displaced. Over 152 UNRWA staff have been killed and 145 UNRWA facilities damaged by Israeli military strikes.

Australia paused funding following allegations that up to 12 of the agency’s 13,000 staff were involved in the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. UNRWA is conducting an investigation into the allegations and has stood down several employees who were alleged to have engaged in misconduct.

The Sydney Peace Foundation recognises UNRWA’s vital role in supporting Palestinians in desperate need as the only entity with the capacity to deliver humanitarian aid to more than two million people in the besieged territory. The Australian Government also recognised this role when it announced an additional $6 million in funding to UNRWA on 16 January, just two weeks ago.

Australia announced its freeze in funding to the UN agency on 27 January, immediately following the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order that Israel abide by six provisional measures. Among these, the court ordered Israel to take all possible measures to prevent genocidal acts, to prevent and punish direct and public incitement to genocide, and to take immediate and effective steps to ensure the provision of basic services and humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.

The Sydney Peace Foundation joins with others in calling for the Australian Government to ensure the historic ICJ ruling, focussing on serious breaches of international law under the Genocide Convention by the State of Israel, is respected and upheld.

The Sydney Peace Foundation acknowledges the conflict has been driven by extremists on both sides, but we are of the firm belief that ordinary Israeli and Palestinian peoples have the same dream: living in peace and security.

Any solution to this conflict starts with an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, the release of hostages held by Hamas and an end to the siege on Gaza.

The post Statement on UNRWA funding appeared first on Sydney Peace Foundation.

In October, Hamas committed a violent attack killing 1,200 people. 

Since that time, more than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli Defence Force, including a devastating number of civilians, women and children.

Humanitarian aid is being blocked, and international media prevented from reporting.

These actions should be examined appropriately under international law, and there is an urgent need for provisional measures to halt the killing of innocent people. 

Concurrently, Hamas must also cease hostilities, return hostages and be held to account.

The initial application by South Africa under the Genocide Convention begins being heard tonight Australian time. As Professor Donald Rothwell at the Australian National University has noted, “any provisional measures ruling against Israel would require a radical modification of Israel’s military operations in Gaza”. As the death toll continues to climb, this must be the focus of Australia’s efforts.

Read South Africa’s full application here.

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