Jerusalem: The Israeli military has revised its initial account of the fatal shooting of 15 emergency workers near Rafah in southern Gaza on March 23, stating that the matter remains under active investigation. The victims, comprised of paramedics and emergency responders, were discovered in a shallow grave a week after the incident by United Nations officials and the Palestinian Red Crescent. Another responder remains unaccounted for.
Initially, the military claimed soldiers had fired on vehicles approaching in the dark without lights or markings, believing they were being used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants. The army reported killing nine militants traveling in Palestinian Red Crescent vehicles.
However, new video evidence recovered from a victim’s mobile phone and released by the Palestinian Red Crescent contradicts the military’s statement. The footage reportedly shows emergency workers in uniform, with clearly marked and illuminated ambulances and fire trucks, coming under fire.
The only known survivor, Red Crescent paramedic Munther Abed, also confirmed that clearly marked emergency vehicles were targeted.
An Israeli military official said Saturday evening that the video is now under review and that findings are expected to be presented to senior army leadership. He noted that the initial field report failed to mention vehicle lights, suggesting it may have been an error by the reporting soldier.
“What we understand currently is the person who gives the initial account is mistaken. We’re trying to understand why,” the official stated.
According to Israeli media briefed by the military, six of the 15 deceased were identified as members of militant groups. However, the official declined to share evidence, citing classified intelligence.
“According to our information, there were terrorists there but this investigation is not over,” he told reporters.
Both the U.N. and the Palestinian Red Crescent have demanded an independent investigation into the deaths, stating the emergency teams were responding to Israeli airstrikes when they came under fire. The crews included personnel from the Red Crescent, the Civil Emergency Service, and the U.N.
The U.N. reported that one team was likely killed immediately, while others were killed in subsequent hours as they searched for missing colleagues.
“We need justice for the victims and we need to ensure that all of those who are responsible are held to account,” said Palestinian Red Crescent spokesperson Nebal Farsakh. “Without this, the crimes will continue to happen.”
Timeline of the Incident
The military official outlined the preliminary timeline:
- Around 4 a.m., Israeli troops opened fire on a vehicle, killing two alleged Hamas internal security members and capturing a third, who reportedly confessed to being affiliated with Hamas.
- Around 6 a.m., troops were informed by aerial surveillance of a “suspicious” group of vehicles approaching.
- Believing it was a continuation of the earlier incident, the soldiers opened fire from a distance.
The official denied claims that troops executed or mistreated the aid workers at close range.
“It’s not from close. They opened fire from afar,” he said. “There’s no mistreatment of the people there.”
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He further claimed that the soldiers believed they had encountered militants and had achieved a “successful encounter.” The military allegedly informed the U.N. of the incident the same day and initially covered the bodies with camouflage netting until they could be retrieved.
“There was no incident where the IDF tried to cover up. On the contrary, they called the U.N. immediately,” the official said.
However, the U.N. stated last week that it was informed of the bodies’ location but was denied access to the area for several days. When they eventually reached the site, the bodies were found buried next to their crushed vehicles — including ambulances, a fire truck, and a U.N. car.
The Israeli military acknowledged that an engineering vehicle had pushed the aid vehicles to the side of the road but could not explain why they had been crushed and buried.
