The Israeli military has concluded its investigation into the killing of 15 emergency workers in Gaza last month, attributing the incident to “professional failures”. The inquiry found that an operational misunderstanding and a breach of orders led to the deaths.
Deputy commander of the unit involved has been dismissed for providing an inaccurate report during the debrief. A spokeswoman for the Palestine Red Crescent Society has criticized the IDF’s report, stating it shifts responsibility to a personal error in command rather than acknowledging the truth.
The incident occurred on March 23 when a convoy of ambulances, a UN car, and a fire truck came under fire from Israeli troops. The IDF claims six of the victims were Hamas operatives, but the Palestinian Red Crescent Society disputes this, saying the true circumstances are different.
The investigation found that poor night visibility contributed to the commander’s perception of an immediate threat, which led to the opening of fire on the ambulances. Another commanding officer will receive a reprimand for his role in the incident.
The IDF has previously claimed that the vehicles approached “suspiciously” without coordination or warning. However, a video found on a medic’s mobile phone shows the vehicles with their lights on and emergency signals flashing before being shot at just before dawn.
The bodies of the 15 dead workers were buried in sand, but not uncovered until a week after the incident due to lack of safe passage and location by international agencies. The IDF is also holding a PRCS medic it detained following the incident, although his name has not been confirmed.
This incident marks the latest in a series of violence in Gaza, which was triggered by an unprecedented cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, killing over 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage. Since then, at least 51,201 people have been killed in Gaza.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c24q6201d8yo