IDF confirms video of shooting of ambulances in Gaza is real, admits mistake
Gaza (Photo: MOHAMMED SABER/EPA)
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has acknowledged that its previous conclusions regarding the event in the southern Gaza city of Rafah were erroneous. This incident involved Israeli forces firing upon Palestinian emergency vehicles, leading to the deaths of 15 individuals, whose remains were subsequently discovered in a mass grave, as reported by the Times of Israel and Reuters.
Media outlets indicate that 15 paramedics and emergency personnel perished on March 23 and were interred in a single grave, where their remains were located a week later by representatives from the UN and the Palestinian Red Crescent.
Initially, the Israeli military stated that soldiers had fired at vehicles that were “suspiciously” approaching their positions in the dark, lacking any identification signs. The IDF claimed that at least six of the deceased were later identified as Hamas militants.
However, on April 5, the Palestine Red Crescent Society released a video captured on a mobile phone belonging to one of the victims, depicting emergency responders operating in clearly marked ambulances and fire trucks with their lights activated.
Following the video’s release, the Israel Defense Forces conceded that their earlier assertion regarding the lack of identification on the convoy was incorrect, clarifying that it had been based on the accounts of the soldiers involved in the incident.
The case’s materials have been forwarded for re-investigation, with conclusions expected to be submitted to the IDF as soon as Sunday, April 6.
- On the night of March 18, Israel initiated airstrikes across the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas terrorist group’s refusal to release Israeli captives.
- The IDF commenced a ground operation in the Rafah area on March 29.
- Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced on April 2 that Israel was intensifying operations in the Gaza Strip to expand the buffer zone. Concurrently, families of Hamas hostages urged for a ceasefire and the return of the detainees.
