Israel’s military has acknowledged that its soldiers made mistakes during a tragic incident in Gaza, where 15 emergency workers were killed on March 23. The attack occurred near Rafah when a convoy of ambulances from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, along with a UN vehicle and a fire truck, came under gunfire.
Initially, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that their troops opened fire because the convoy approached in a suspicious manner, lacking headlights or flashing lights. They argued that the movement of these vehicles had not been coordinated with the military. However, mobile phone footage, recorded by one of the deceased paramedics, contradicted this claim, showing that the vehicles had their lights on as they responded to a call for help.
The IDF maintains that at least six of the medics had ties to Hamas but has yet to provide any evidence for this assertion. They admitted that the medics were unarmed when the shooting began. The video, which was shared by the New York Times, captures the moments before the shooting, as the paramedic, Refat Radwan, is heard saying his last prayers amid the chaos.
An IDF official explained that soldiers had previously fired on a car with three Hamas members. When the ambulances arrived, aerial surveillance reportedly indicated that the convoy was advancing suspiciously. Believing they were under threat, the soldiers opened fire, despite having no proof that the emergency team was armed.
Israel has since retracted its earlier statement about the vehicles approaching without lights, attributing the misinformation to the troops involved. The footage clearly shows the ambulances were marked and the paramedics wore reflective uniforms. Following the incident, the soldiers buried the bodies in sand to protect them from animals, claiming they moved the vehicles to clear the road. The bodies were not recovered until a week later, as international agencies struggled to secure safe passage to the area.
When an aid team eventually located the bodies, they found Radwan’s phone, which contained footage of the incident. The Israeli military denied allegations that the medics were handcuffed or executed at close range, as some reports had suggested. A surviving paramedic insisted that the ambulances had their lights on and denied any links to militant groups.
In light of the incident, the IDF has promised a thorough examination to understand what happened. Meanwhile, the Red Crescent and various international organizations are calling for an independent investigation.
This incident comes amid ongoing violence in Gaza. Since Israel resumed its aerial bombardment and ground offensive on March 18, following the end of a ceasefire, over 1,200 people have reportedly died in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The Israeli military launched this campaign in response to a significant attack on October 7, which resulted in around 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken.
As the situation continues to unfold, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, with more than 50,600 casualties reported since the conflict escalated.