Yousef Khalifa: The Children's Rescuer Buried by Israel in the Paramedics' Graveyard

Yousef Khalifa, a Palestinian Civil Defense paramedic, was killed on March 23, 2025, when Israeli forces targeted an ambulance convoy in Rafah. Khalifa was a father of five daughters and had worked as a paramedic since 2009. The convoy included ambulances from the Red Crescent, Civil Defense, and UNRWA. The attack killed 14 or 15 paramedics and aid workers, and a survivor was detained. The Israeli military later admitted to "field mistakes."

Yousef Khalifa, a 41-year-old Palestinian paramedic, was killed on March 23, 2025, during an Israeli attack on an ambulance convoy in the Tel al-Sultan area west of Rafah. Khalifa had worked for the Palestinian Civil Defense since 2009, was a refugee from the village of Yibna, depopulated in 1948, and was a father of five daughters. The convoy included four ambulances from the Palestinian Red Crescent, two Civil Defense vehicles, and a vehicle belonging to UNRWA. The convoy came under Israeli fire, resulting in the deaths of paramedics and the detention of survivor Munther Abed, who said he was tortured. On March 27, a UN team found the vehicles destroyed and partially buried, and on March 30, a mass grave was discovered containing the bodies of 14 ambulance and Civil Defense workers and a UN staff member. The International Committee of the Red Cross reported finding 15 bodies. The Israeli military later admitted to "field mistakes" after differing accounts. The article describes Khalifa as a rescuer of children and recalls scenes from his work, including his attempt to save a baby that did not succeed.