OIC calls for independent investigation into Israeli crimes against Gaza aid workers

OIC urges international action and accountability for attacks on humanitarian personnel.

An ambulance arrives to transport injured Palestinians to the hospital following an Israeli attack on Dar al-Arqam School, where displaced Palestinians had sought refuge, in Gaza City, Gaza, on April 3, 2025. Photo by Saeed Mohammed/Anadolu

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) calls for independent investigation into Israeli crimes against Gaza aid workers, as outrage grows over the deliberate targeting of humanitarian teams operating in the besieged Gaza Strip. In a powerful statement released on Sunday, June 4, the OIC condemned what it described as "systematic and premeditated attacks" by Israeli forces on paramedics, medical teams, and humanitarian volunteers, urging the international community to take immediate steps toward justice and accountability.

The call comes in the wake of chilling reports and newly surfaced video evidence that 15 humanitarian workers were executed while on duty and buried in mass graves dug by Israeli military bulldozers. The aid workers had gone missing during a rescue operation in the Tal as-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah on March 23. They were later discovered with their hands tied, shot in the chest and head—an act the OIC says amounts to a war crime.

“What happened in Rafah is not just an isolated incident,” the OIC’s statement said. “It is part of a broader pattern of targeting medical and relief personnel in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”

A clear violation of international law

The OIC emphasized that these attacks violate the Geneva Conventions, which offer special protection to medical and humanitarian workers in conflict zones. By targeting Red Crescent teams and Civil Defense forces, the OIC argued, Israel has crossed a red line, breaching both the moral and legal codes that govern warfare.

The OIC calls for independent investigation into Israeli crimes against Gaza aid workers, insisting that the United Nations Security Council must authorize an international committee to uncover the full scope of these violations. Such a committee, the OIC believes, should have unrestricted access to evidence, witnesses, and affected areas, so that justice can be served without delay or political interference.

The organization also stressed that the current moment is a test for global justice systems. It pointed to the responsibility of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to uphold the principles they were founded upon.

Beyond investigations, the OIC is pushing for criminal prosecution of those responsible for the targeting of aid workers and other war crimes committed during the ongoing conflict. It called on member states and the broader international community to impose political, economic, and legal measures against the Israeli government until it complies with international law, agrees to a comprehensive ceasefire, and allows unimpeded humanitarian access into Gaza.

In calling for accountability, the OIC is also urging countries to respect and implement the decisions made by the ICC and ICJ. These international bodies have received complaints and preliminary findings suggesting genocidal actions and systematic human rights violations by Israeli forces since the escalation of violence in late 2023.

“Ending impunity is the only way to stop the cycle of violence,” the OIC stated. “Without justice, there can be no peace.”

Support for the OIC’s position has been growing among rights organizations, humanitarian agencies, and civil society groups worldwide. Human Rights Watch, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the World Health Organization have all condemned the targeting of humanitarian workers in Gaza and called for thorough investigations.

The OIC's demand—an independent international probe into Israeli crimes against Gaza aid workers—is not just a symbolic gesture. It’s a call for tangible, enforceable action that holds individuals and governments accountable.

The United Nations Human Rights Council is expected to convene an emergency session later this month, where proposals to launch such an investigation may be introduced. Diplomats say momentum is building, but political divisions, particularly among Security Council members, may still hinder progress.

The cost of silence

The killing of the 15 aid workers is just one among many horrific episodes that have unfolded in Gaza since the conflict escalated. Over the past seven months, more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed, thousands of them women and children. Many were victims of airstrikes on residential neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, and designated humanitarian zones.

But the targeting of those trying to save lives has taken the crisis to a new level. Paramedics, doctors, and aid workers have been attacked while performing clearly marked humanitarian duties, often after coordinating with international agencies.

The OIC’s call for an investigation into Israeli crimes against Gaza aid workers is, in many ways, a plea not just for justice but for the preservation of humanity itself. If such acts are allowed to go unpunished, the very idea of humanitarian protection in war zones could be undermined permanently.

The OIC’s statement also made a broader appeal to the conscience of the international community. It urged governments, particularly in the Global South, to cut ties with Israel or take diplomatic actions that would pressure the regime into compliance with international norms. It also called for the strengthening of international justice mechanisms to ensure that violations by powerful states do not go unchecked.

In addition, the OIC underlined the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and the reopening of humanitarian corridors to prevent further loss of life. It warned that the current blockade and military aggression are not only violating international law but creating the conditions for mass famine, epidemic outbreaks, and a breakdown of civil society in Gaza.

“We are at a crossroads,” the OIC warned. “The world must choose between complicity and courage.”

As the Organization of Islamic Cooperation amplifies its call for justice, the demand for accountability is growing louder across continents. The OIC calls for independent investigation into Israeli crimes against Gaza aid workers is not merely a political statement—it is a demand rooted in international law, basic human decency, and the universal principle that those who kill humanitarian workers must face justice.

If the international community fails to respond decisively, the consequences may not be confined to Gaza. The failure to protect aid workers anywhere is a threat to humanitarian missions everywhere.

In a conflict already defined by staggering civilian casualties and structural devastation, the deliberate targeting of those who come to help represents a tragic and unforgivable escalation. Now, the world watches to see whether justice will follow.