The Israeli military has walked back its initial account of the killing of 15 Palestinian medics in Gaza after phone video appeared to contradict its claims. The military initially stated that it opened fire on the vehicles because they were “advancing suspiciously” without headlights or emergency signals. However, a phone video shows the Red Crescent and Civil Defense teams driving slowly with their emergency vehicles’ lights flashing, logos visible, as they pulled up to help an ambulance that had come under fire.
The footage, which was found in the pocket of one of the slain staffers, shows the medics being caught off guard by gunfire that erupted after the first vehicle arrived. The video reveals intense shooting for nearly five and a half minutes, with long, heavy barrages followed by silences punctuated by individual shots and shouts.
The Israeli military claims to have killed Hamas militants in the attack, but none of the 15 slain medics has been identified as such. No other bodies are known to have been found at the site. The military has not said what happened to the body of one alleged militant or released the names of the others.
Critics argue that the slain medics were innocent civilians caught in the crossfire, and that the Israeli military’s account is inconsistent with eyewitness testimony. Jonathan Whittall, interim head of the UN humanitarian office OCHA, dismissed allegations that the slain medics were Hamas militants, saying staff had worked with them previously in evacuating patients from hospitals.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about the conduct of Israeli forces in Gaza and the treatment of Palestinian civilians in conflict zones.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-medics-ambulances-killed-rafah-069ae07c011250d8a5cef7bdfc26f9df