The Israeli military has revised its initial account of the killing of 15 aid and emergency workers in Gaza last month. Initially, soldiers said they opened fire on vehicles that approached their position “suspiciously” without lights or markings, claiming to have killed nine militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
However, a video recovered from the mobile phone of one of the dead men has shown that the emergency responders were wearing uniforms, driving clearly marked ambulances and fire trucks with lights on, when they were fired upon by soldiers. The only known survivor, Munther Abed, also described seeing soldiers open fire on clearly marked emergency response vehicles.
An Israeli military official said that investigators are still examining the evidence and concluded that the person making the initial report was “mistaken.” They denied reports of troops handcuffing paramedics and shooting them at close range, claiming they opened fire from a distance. The official also rejected allegations of mistreatment or cover-up, saying soldiers informed the UN immediately after the incident and followed standard procedures.
The UN and Palestinian Red Crescent have demanded an independent inquiry into the killings, with officials stating that justice must be served for the victims and those responsible held accountable.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-military-changes-initial-account-gaza-aid-worker-killings-2025-04-06