Mourners collect across the our bodies of 8 Pink Crescent emergency responders, recovered in Rafah every week after an Israeli assault, as they’re transported for burial from a hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, on Monday, March 31, 2025.
Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
conceal caption
toggle caption
Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
JERUSALEM — An Israeli investigation into the killings of 15 Palestinian medics final month in Gaza by Israeli forces mentioned Sunday it discovered “professional failures” and a deputy commander might be fired.
Israel at first claimed that the medics’ automobiles didn’t have emergency indicators on when troops opened fireplace however later backtracked. Cellphone video recovered from one of many medics contradicted Israel’s preliminary account.
The army investigation discovered that the deputy battalion commander, “due to poor night visibility,” assessed that the ambulances belonged to Hamas militants. Video footage obtained from the incident reveals the ambulances had lights flashing and logos seen as they pulled as much as assist one other ambulance that got here below fireplace earlier. The groups don’t seem like appearing unusually or in a threatening method as three medics emerge and head towards it.
Their automobiles instantly come below a barrage of gunfire that goes on for greater than 5 minutes with transient pauses.
Our bodies have been buried in a mass grave
Eight Pink Crescent personnel, six Civil Protection staff and a U.N. staffer have been killed within the capturing earlier than daybreak on March 23 by troops conducting operations in Tel al-Sultan, a district of the southern Gaza metropolis of Rafah. Troops bulldozed over the our bodies together with their mangled automobiles, burying them in a mass grave. U.N. and rescue staff have been solely capable of attain the location every week later to dig out the our bodies.
The pinnacle of the Palestinian Pink Crescent Society has mentioned the lads have been “targeted at close range.”
The Israeli army investigation mentioned the examination discovered “no evidence to support claims of execution or that any of the deceased were bound before or after the shooting.”
It mentioned the Palestinians have been killed attributable to an “operational misunderstanding” by Israeli forces, and {that a} separate incident quarter-hour later, when Israeli troopers shot at a Palestinian U.N. automobile, was a breach of orders.
The deputy commander who might be dismissed was the primary to open fireplace and the remainder of the troopers additionally began capturing, the investigation mentioned.
The findings asserted that six of these killed have been Hamas members and mentioned a few of the others have been initially misidentified as Hamas. Israel’s army initially mentioned 9 have been militants. The Civil Protection is a part of the Hamas-run authorities.
Israel accuses Hamas of hiding fighters in ambulances
The investigation discovered that the choice to crush the ambulances was mistaken however mentioned there was no try to hide the occasion. Maj. Gen Yoav Har-Even, accountable for the army’s investigative department, mentioned the our bodies and automobiles have been faraway from the highway as a result of the army needed to make use of it for an evacuation route later that day.
Har-Even mentioned the army notified worldwide organizations concerning the capturing that day and helped them find the our bodies.
The assertion on the findings concluded by saying that Israel’s army “regrets the harm caused to uninvolved civilians.” The one survivor was detained for investigation and stays in custody for additional questioning.
The investigation’s findings have been turned over the Navy Advocate Normal, which might determine whether or not to file expenses. It’s meant to be an unbiased physique, with oversight by Israel’s legal professional basic and Supreme Court docket.
There aren’t any outdoors investigations of the killings underway.
Israel has accused Hamas of transferring and hiding its fighters inside ambulances and emergency automobiles, in addition to in hospitals and different civilian infrastructure, arguing that justifies strikes on them. Medical personnel largely deny the accusations.
Israeli strikes have killed greater than 150 emergency responders from the Pink Crescent and Civil Protection, most of them whereas on obligation, in addition to over 1,000 well being staff in the course of the battle, in accordance with the U.N. The Israeli army hardly ever investigates such incidents.
Israel disputes ICC accusations of battle crimes
Palestinians and worldwide human rights teams have repeatedly accused Israel’s army of failing to correctly examine or whitewashing misconduct by its troops.
Har-Even mentioned the Israeli army is at the moment investigating 421 incidents in the course of the battle, with 51 concluded and despatched to the Navy Advocate Normal. There was no quick data on the variety of investigations involving potential wrongful deaths or what number of occasions the MAG has pursued felony expenses.
The Worldwide Legal Court docket, established by the worldwide group as a court docket of final resort, has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former protection minister Yoav Gallant of battle crimes. Israel, which isn’t a member of the court docket, has lengthy asserted that its authorized system is able to investigating the military, and Netanyahu has accused the ICC of antisemitism.
The battle in Gaza started when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 individuals, principally civilians, and abducting 251. A lot of the hostages have been launched in ceasefire agreements or different offers. Hamas at the moment holds 59 hostages, 24 of them believed to be alive.
Israel’s offensive has since killed over 51,000 Palestinians, principally girls and youngsters, in accordance with Gaza’s Well being Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The battle has destroyed huge elements of Gaza and most of its meals manufacturing capabilities. Round 90% of the inhabitants is displaced, with tons of of hundreds of individuals dwelling in tent camps and bombed-out buildings.
Frustration has been rising on either side, with uncommon public protests towards Hamas in Gaza and continued weekly rallies in Israel urgent the federal government to succeed in a deal to carry all hostages residence.
