The Israeli military has acknowledged errors in its earlier explanation of a deadly attack on a convoy of emergency workers in southern Gaza. On March 23, 2024, 15 emergency responders, including paramedics and civil defense workers, were killed near Rafah when their convoy came under Israeli fire.
Initial Claim Contradicted by Video Evidence
Initially, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the convoy was moving “suspiciously” in the dark without headlights or prior coordination. However, newly released mobile phone footage recorded by one of the paramedics, Refat Radwan—who was later killed—showed that the vehicles had their lights on. The video captured the moment the convoy stopped and came under sudden gunfire before dawn.
The convoy, which included ambulances from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), a UN vehicle, and a fire truck, was responding to a call to assist the wounded when it was attacked.
No Weapons Found on Victims, Yet Hamas Links Alleged
An Israeli military official later admitted that none of the medics were armed. However, the IDF claimed that six of the victims had ties to Hamas, though no evidence has been publicly provided to support this. Reports from a surviving paramedic and international observers also dispute these claims, stating the victims were legitimate emergency workers.
Misjudgment Based on Surveillance
According to the IDF, ground troops were earlier told by aerial surveillance units that the convoy was approaching the site of an earlier strike on a car carrying alleged Hamas members. The military said that when the ambulances stopped next to the damaged vehicle, soldiers assumed they were under threat and opened fire.
The army now concedes that its initial report—that the convoy lacked lights and approached without warning—was inaccurate. It blamed the mistake on the soldiers who filed the first account.
Footage Captures Final Moments
The video, shared by The New York Times, runs over five minutes and includes the final prayers of paramedic Refat Radwan before Israeli troops are heard approaching. It also clearly shows that the vehicles were visibly marked as emergency units, and that the medics were wearing reflective uniforms.
Bodies Buried, Later Recovered
An IDF official stated that soldiers later buried the 15 bodies in sand to shield them from wild animals and cleared the vehicles to reopen the road. The bodies were not recovered until a week later, as international aid groups, including the United Nations, struggled to gain safe access to the area. The discovery included Radwan’s phone, which held the key footage.
Call for Independent Investigation
The Israeli military has promised a “thorough examination” to understand what happened and how it was handled. However, several international organizations, including the Red Crescent and the UN, are demanding an independent investigation into the incident.
Violence in Gaza Continues
This tragedy occurred just days after Israel resumed its aerial and ground operations in Gaza on March 18, following the breakdown of a temporary ceasefire. Since then, over 1,200 people have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which is run by Hamas.
Since the conflict began with Hamas’s large-scale attack on Israel on October 7, 2023—in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 were taken hostage—Israel’s military campaign has resulted in over 50,600 deaths in Gaza, according to the same health authority.
The killing of the 15 emergency workers has raised serious questions about military accountability and the protection of humanitarian responders during conflict. As calls grow louder for an impartial investigation, the world watches closely to see how the Israeli military and international bodies will respond.
The Information is Collected from BBC and CBC.
