The Israeli military has admitted that its forces made a mistake in the killing of 15 emergency aid workers in southern Gaza on March 23. The acknowledgment came in a statement issued on Saturday (April 5), according to a report by British news outlet BBC.
On that day, Israeli forces opened fire near the city of Rafah on a convoy that included ambulances from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), a United Nations vehicle, and a fire truck belonging to Gaza’s Civil Defense.
Initially, Israel claimed the vehicles were advancing suspiciously in the dark without lights or flashing signals and were not coordinated with the military.
However, video footage recorded on the phone of one of the deceased paramedics showed that the vehicles did have their lights on and were heading to assist the wounded.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) also alleged that six of the deceased paramedics had links to Hamas, although they have yet to provide any evidence. The IDF admitted that none of those targeted were armed at the time of the attack.
A video shared by The New York Times shows the vehicles parked on the roadside, and gunfire erupting just before dawn.
The video, which is over five minutes long, captures paramedic Refaat Radwan reciting a final prayer. Israeli soldiers can also be heard approaching the vehicles.
On Saturday evening, an IDF officer told journalists that earlier their forces had fired at a vehicle believed to be carrying three Hamas members.
When the ambulances later arrived at the scene, surveillance teams reported that the vehicles were “approaching suspiciously.”
As the ambulances stopped near the Hamas vehicle, Israeli forces, feeling threatened, opened fire—despite no evidence that the emergency crews were armed.
Video footage clearly shows the vehicles were marked, and the paramedics were wearing reflective uniforms.
The IDF stated that the bodies of the 15 aid workers were buried in sand to protect them from wild animals, and the vehicles were later removed and buried to clear the road.
Due to the inability of the United Nations and other international organizations to ensure safe access to the area or identify the location, the bodies were only recovered a week later. A relief team found them after locating Refaat Radwan’s phone, which contained footage of the entire incident.
Earlier this week, a surviving paramedic told the BBC that the ambulances had their lights on and none of the workers were affiliated with any armed group.
The IDF has pledged a “full investigation” into the incident and said it is trying to understand the sequence of events and how the operation was managed.
Several international organizations, including the Red Crescent, have called for an independent investigation.