The Irish Red Cross is deeply saddened by the killing of two Red Cross colleagues in Gaza this weekend. Ibrahim Eid, a Weapon Contamination Officer for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Ahmad Abu Hilal, a Security Guard at the Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah, were killed in a strike on their home in Khan Younis on Saturday, 24 May. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to their families, friends, and colleagues. Their deaths reflect the appalling risks faced by humanitarian workers — and the intolerable suffering endured by civilians across Gaza.

Deirdre Garvey, Secretary General of the Irish Red Cross, said:

“Our hearts are broken. Ibrahim and Ahmad were not just Red Cross colleagues — they were humanitarians who dedicated their lives to helping others in the hardest of circumstances. Their deaths are a tragic reminder of the unbearable toll this conflict is taking, not just on civilians, but on those who are trying to protect and care for them. Every day in Gaza, people are dying who should be protected — children, families, aid workers, medics. This is a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding before our eyes. There must be a ceasefire. There must be respect for international humanitarian law. And above all, there must be humanity.”

The Irish Red Cross reiterates our urgent call for an immediate ceasefire, and for the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers in accordance with international humanitarian law. More than 1,600 Red Cross and Red Crescent staff continue to serve in Gaza today, often at great personal risk. They are not combatants — they are neutral, impartial humanitarians providing life-saving assistance. They are staff and volunteers, doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers and first aiders. Nobody should go to work with a target on their back. Their safety must be guaranteed.

Since the start of the conflict in Gaza, 35 staff and volunteers of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement have been killed.

ENDS