FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – The Israeli military on Sunday acknowledged “professional failures” that led to the deaths of 15 emergency responders in southern Gaza last month.
Victims included personnel from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Civil Defense teams, and a United Nations employee.
The findings, from an internal investigation by the General Staff Fact-Finding Mechanism, revealed operational and procedural errors in the March 23 incident in Rafah’s Tel al-Sultan neighborhood.
Troops mistakenly identified emergency vehicles as Hamas assets due to “poor night visibility.” A deputy commander assessed the vehicles as hostile, leading to Israeli forces opening fire, including on a UN-marked vehicle.
The investigation confirmed the deaths of eight Red Crescent staff, six Civil Defense members, and a UN employee.
Video evidence contradicted claims that the vehicles lacked emergency markings, showing flashing lights and visible logos.
The responders, displaying no hostile behavior, were fired upon for over five minutes. Following the attack, troops used bulldozers to bury the bodies and vehicles, delaying rescue operations for a week.
The deputy commander who initiated the attack and gave “incomplete and inaccurate” reports will be dismissed, while a senior commander faces disciplinary action.
Military officials stated the crushing of ambulances was to clear evacuation routes, denying intent to conceal the incident.
Claims of execution or binding of victims were refuted, though Palestinian Red Crescent representatives alleged targeting at close range. The findings have been sent to the Military Advocate General, which will decide on legal proceedings.
The United Nations reports over 1,000 health workers have died in Israeli military strikes since the conflict began.
Critics accuse the Israeli military of rarely conducting thorough investigations into such incidents.