The Israeli military has acknowledged that “professional failures” were behind the killing of 15 emergency personnel, including paramedics and a UN worker, in Gaza last month.
An internal Israel Defense Forces (IDF) investigation concluded that the 23 March incident was caused by an “operational misunderstanding” and a “breach of orders” during a tense and chaotic combat situation.
The deputy commander of the unit involved has been dismissed for providing what the military described as an “incomplete and inaccurate report” during the initial debriefing.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), whose medics were among the victims, rejected the IDF's report.
A spokeswoman called it “invalid,” accusing the military of justifying the killings by blaming lower-level field command errors while ignoring broader accountability.
The incident involved a convoy of PRCS ambulances, a United Nations vehicle, and a fire truck. All came under Israeli fire in central Gaza. The IDF claimed that troops believed they were under threat and opened fire in response.
Major General Yoav Har-Even, who led the investigation, stated during a briefing that six of the deceased emergency workers were identified as Hamas operatives, though no names have been released yet.
He denied allegations of summary executions, asserting that soldiers acted within the perceived threat context.
Footage shown to reporters during the IDF briefing included aerial surveillance from the early hours of the incident. While some vehicles were attacked, others, including ambulances, passed unscathed before and after, which officials argued showed restraint on the part of IDF forces.
However, evidence recovered from a medic’s mobile phone contradicted initial Israeli claims that the vehicles had no lights or markings. The video showed emergency lights flashing and clearly marked ambulances. One clip captured a paramedic reciting prayers moments before Israeli troops approached the convoy and opened fire.
The bodies of the victims were buried in sand and discovered a week later, as humanitarian agencies could not safely reach the site.
The IDF also confirmed it is detaining a PRCS medic, identified by the International Committee of the Red Cross as Assad al-Nassasra. No further details have been given.
Calls for an independent investigation have intensified. Jonathan Whittall, a UN official in Gaza, said the IDF report “falls short of meaningful accountability,”; warning that failures to uphold international law “make the world a more dangerous place.”
This incident follows a deadly pattern. In April last year, seven World Central Kitchen aid workers were killed by an Israeli strike, prompting the dismissal of two officers.
Israel renewed its offensive in Gaza on March 18 after a temporary ceasefire ended. The war began after Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attack that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 hostages taken.
Since then, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says at least 51,201 people have been killed in the enclave.
