Israel Said It Investigated Its Killing Of 15 Gaza Medics And Found It Was An "Operational Misunderstanding”
Israeli forces had claimed they attacked vehicles “advancing suspiciously” without headlights or emergency signals.
Israel has admitted that its killing of 15 medics and emergency responders in Gaza was a “operational misunderstanding” and "professional failure."
The Palestinian emergency teams had first gone missing on March 23, when they were responding to Israeli attacks in the Tel al-Sultan district in the southern city of Rafah at around noon.
They were found almost a week later on March 30, when the UN was finally allowed access to the site where they went missing and discovered 15 bodies in a mass grave, including eight PRCS paramedics, six Civil Defense members and one UN employee.
Israeli forces had claimed they attacked vehicles “advancing suspiciously” without headlights or emergency signals.
However, a video obtained from the phone of killed medic Refaat Radwan showed the vehicles were visibly marked as ambulances with clear emergency headlights and the medics were wearing reflective gear and that Israeli forces had deliberately shot at them.
Israeli forces released its own findings of its investigation into the incident on April 20, saying its troops killed the 15 medics due to an “operational misunderstanding” that they faced a "tangible threat" from enemy forces, leading to the initial shootings.
It added that, later, it shot a UN vehicle due to "breach of orders."
Israeli forces said that six of the 15 medics whom they killed were Hamas members but did not provide evidence.
It said that burying the bodies of the 15 medics was “reasonable” and was not to conceal evidence but “to prevent further harm.”
However, it acknowledged that the decision to crush the ambulances and UN vehicles and bury them was wrong.
Israeli forces said they would dismiss a deputy commander for submitting an "incomplete and inaccurate report” and reprimand a commanding officer for their roles in the incident.
Israel is still detaining 47-year-old PRCS paramedic Assad al-Nsasrah, who was at the scene and went missing after the incident, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 150 emergency responders from the Red as well as over 1,000 health workers, according to the United Nations.
Under international humanitarian law, attacks on aid workers constitute war crimes, particularly if they are part of a systematic pattern.
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