The Israeli military has acknowledged errors in an incident that led to the deaths of 15 emergency responders in southern Gaza on March 23.
The victims, comprising staff from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), a United Nations vehicle crew, and Gaza’s Civil Defence, came under Israeli fire near the city of Rafah.
The convoy included ambulances, a UN-marked car, and a fire truck.
Initially, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the vehicles were fired upon because they appeared suspicious — allegedly driving in darkness without headlights or flashing signals.
The IDF also claimed that the movement of the convoy had not been pre-arranged with the military.
However, mobile phone footage taken by one of the paramedics before he was killed shows that the vehicles were using lights and were clearly marked.
The video, shared by The New York Times, records the moment the shooting began shortly before dawn and continues for over five minutes.
In the footage, paramedic Refat Radwan can be heard saying his final prayers as gunfire erupts, followed by the voices of Israeli troops approaching.
While the IDF maintains that six of the medics were allegedly linked to Hamas, no supporting evidence has been presented.
It has been confirmed that none of the medics were armed.
An IDF spokesperson briefed reporters on Saturday, saying troops had earlier targeted a vehicle carrying three Hamas operatives.
When the emergency convoy arrived at the scene, surveillance personnel alerted ground forces that the ambulances were moving “suspiciously.”
Troops then opened fire when the ambulances stopped near the targeted car, assuming a threat — though the emergency workers were unarmed.
The military has since acknowledged that its earlier claim about the vehicles not using lights was inaccurate and based solely on field soldiers’ accounts.
The video clearly shows the emergency vehicles were visibly marked, and personnel were wearing reflective vests.
According to the IDF, soldiers later buried the victims’ bodies in sand to protect them from animals and cleared the vehicles from the road.
The bodies remained buried for a week, as international agencies, including the UN, were unable to safely access the site.
The discovery of the victims came after aid workers located the scene and recovered Radwan’s phone containing the crucial video evidence.
Israeli officials denied reports that any medics were executed at close range or restrained before being killed.
A surviving PRCS paramedic, speaking to the BBC, disputed claims of any militant affiliations among the crew and confirmed the convoy was using lights when responding to an emergency call.
The IDF has pledged a comprehensive review of the incident to determine how the situation unfolded and was handled.
Meanwhile, the PRCS and several global humanitarian organizations are calling for an independent investigation.
The incident occurred amid a renewed Israeli military campaign in Gaza, which resumed on March 18 after a temporary ceasefire collapsed.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 1,200 people have died since hostilities resumed.
Overall, the ministry reports over 50,600 deaths in Gaza since Israel launched its offensive following Hamas’ October 7 cross-border assault, which left approximately 1,200 dead in Israel and 251 taken hostage.