Jerusalem, Apr 20 (EFE).– The Israeli army has acknowledged a series of “professional failures” led to a Mar. 23 strike that killed 15 Gaza paramedics, rescuers, and a UN staffer, citing “operational misunderstandings” and “poor night visibility.”
A senior officer has been dismissed, and his commander reprimanded.
A military investigation into the incident in Rafah revealed that Israeli troops fired on clearly marked ambulances, a fire truck, and a UN vehicle, mistakenly identifying them as threats.
The report, which will be submitted to the Israeli Prosecutor’s Office, said the deputy commander of the 14th Brigade of the Golani Reconnaissance Battalion ordered the strikes after misjudging the vehicles as being used by Hamas.
The first attack targeted what the army described as Hamas vehicles. An hour later, ambulances and a fire truck responding to the scene were struck after the deputy commander claimed they posed an “immediate and tangible threat.”
Surveillance had reported five vehicles rapidly approaching Israeli positions, with passengers quickly disembarking.
Despite emergency lights on the vehicles, the officer said he believed they belonged to Hamas.
Only after approaching the site did troops realize the vehicles were part of Gaza’s Red Crescent and Civil Defense teams. The army says six Hamas militants were among the group, though this claim has not been independently verified.
A third strike 15 minutes later hit a UN vehicle, killing a worker. The army admitted this attack was a violation of operational regulations.
The investigation also found that the bodies of the victims remained at the scene for a week, buried in sand beside the wreckage.
The army said this was due to efforts to prevent further damage and to clear roads for civilian evacuation but admitted crushing the destroyed vehicles was a mistake.
The report denied any intent to conceal the killings or claims that the victims had been bound or executed.
The deputy commander was dismissed “for providing an incomplete and inaccurate report during the debrief.”
A military spokesman later acknowledged that troops initially claimed the vehicles lacked emergency lights—a statement proven otherwise by a video recorded by a dying paramedic.
Despite the findings, Israeli officials described the dismissed officer as a respected veteran who rejoined the military after the Hamas attacks of October 2023, was wounded in Gaza, and returned to service after recovering.
The commander of the 14th Brigade has also received a formal reprimand for his overall responsibility during and after the incident. EFE
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