Hamas has accused President Donald Trump’s White House of complicity with Israel in allegedly covering up the killing of humanitarian workers in Gaza.
The group’s response comes after U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes expressed understanding for Israel’s actions in Gaza and blamed Hamas for the death of Red Crescent workers.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment.
Why It Matters
Israel has come under international scrutiny after the discovery of the killing of 15 paramedics and emergency responders last month at a time the Israeli offensive against Hamas has intensified following the collapse of a ceasefire.
Such casualties put greater pressure on Israel over its military campaign, which has devastated Gaza since Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023.
BASHAR TALEB/AFP/Getty Images
What To Know
Hamas condemned Hughes’ words in a Monday press statement saying they were “nothing but lies, lacking any evidence.”
It said they “represent a horrific example of unethical solidarity with the Nazis of our time.”
At least 15 paramedics and emergency responders were shot dead in March and later discovered buried in a shallow grave, their bodies were found a week later by officials from the United Nations and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS).
The Israeli military said it was investigating the matter after video footage reportedly recovered from the mobile phone of one of the dead men was made public, contradicting initial claims by the Israel Defense Force (IDF) that they were suspected Hamas “terrorists.”
🚨 Video That Exposes the Israeli Occupation’s Lies
The Palestine Red Crescent Society has obtained a video from the family of a martyred EMT, found on his mobile phone after his body was recovered from a mass grave in Gaza. He was among 15 ambulance and relief team members… pic.twitter.com/8iWqULxijC
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) April 5, 2025
“Hamas uses ambulances and more broadly human shields for terrorism. “President Trump understands the impossible situation this tactic creates for Israel and holds Hamas entirely responsible,” Hughes said, according to Reuters.
A ceasefire in place between January and March saw the release of dozens of Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Hamas has warned the majority of the remaining living hostages held by the group are located in parts of Gaza it expects to come under Israeli attack.
Trump had warned Hamas against keeping the hostages and threatened that “all hell is going to break out” if they were not.
What People Are Saying
Hamas on Telegram: “The statements made by Brian Hughes, the spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, expressing President Trump’s and his administration’s understanding of the crime of executing the Red Crescent and Civil Defense crews in Rafah, represent a horrific example of unethical solidarity with the Nazis of our time, in their brutal war against innocent civilians and humanitarian organizations. Hughes’ accusations against Hamas for using ambulances are nothing but lies, lacking any evidence. The U.S. administration, along with the war criminal Netanyahu’s government, is spreading these falsehoods to justify their horrific and documented crime against paramedics and rescue workers.”
United Nations on Friday: “Last Sunday, a joint PRCS and UN humanitarian coordination office (OCHA) mission uncovered a shallow grave in Rafah. The bodies of eight PRCS paramedics, six civil defence workers, and one UN staff member were found. They had been killed by the Israeli military while attempting to reach victims of shelling on 23 March. PRCS officials said it remains unclear whether their colleague, Assad, had been killed at the scene or taken into detention.”
IDF International Spokesperson Lt. Colonel Nadav Shoshani on X, Thursday: “Update: The incident from March 23rd, 2025, in which IDF forces opened fire targeting terrorists advancing in ambulances, has been transferred to the General Staff’s Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism for investigation.​The IDF places utmost importance on maintaining communication with international organizations operating in Gaza and engages with them regularly.”
What Happens Next
The United States is unlikely to change in its strong defense of Israel and its condemnation of Hamas although rising casualties there could increase pressure for a new ceasefire.
