‘Operational misunderstanding’ led to killing of Gaza medics, IDF inquiry says

The Israeli army said that “a job misunderstanding” and “violation of orders” killed 15 emergency workers in Gaza last month.

An investigation into the incident of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) found a series of failures.

The deputy commander of the relevant unit was rejected to “submit an incomplete and inaccurate report while extracting information.”

Fourteen emergency workers and United Nations worker were killed on March 23 after a convoy of ambulances at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), a United Nations and a fire truck that was shot by the Israeli army.

In a statement, the IDF said that its forces opened fire, believing that they were facing a threat from the enemy forces.

The IDF said that its investigation was found that six of the losses were Hamas members, and he refused that there were brief executions.

There was no evidence of any affiliation with Hamas, despite the names of those who were killed in the public domain.

The report said that the accident occurred in what was called “hostile and dangerous fighting area”, and that the leader on the ground is looking at an immediate and tangible threat after the vehicles quickly approached.

It blamed the “bad night vision”, which the Israeli Defense Army said means that the commander did not specify the vehicles as ambulances.

Israel had originally claimed that the forces opened the fire because the convoy approached a “suspicious way” in the dark without the headlights or the flashing lights. She said that the movement of vehicles was not previously coordinated or agreed with the army.

But she later said that the account was “wrong” after a video clip was found on a killed medical phone, the vehicles showed their lights and clarified their emergency signals.

The footage shows vehicles that are pulled on the road when the shooting start immediately before dawn.

The video lasts for more than five minutes, as the paramedic said about his last prayers before hearing the voices of Israeli soldiers approaching vehicles.

It also shows that the vehicles were clearly noticeable and the paramedics wearing a Hi-Vis uniform.

The bodies of the 15 dead workers were buried in the sand. It was not revealed until a week after the accident because international agencies, including the United Nations, could not organize a safe traffic to the region or locate the place.

The Israel Defense Army also confirmed that it was carrying the PRCS medical, which he held after the accident. They did not confirm his name, but the International Committee of the Red Cross has I was previously named it as the Lion of the Honor.

The Red Crescent and many other international organizations have called for an independent investigation into the accident.

The decision of the Israeli Defense Army to expel a commander and discipline another officer that no one heard – the army rejected two officers and took action against others after the killing of seven relief workers from the International Central Cumer in April last year.

Israel launched its first major operation in Rafah in May 2024, leaving large parts of it in a state of ruin. Tens of thousands of people returned to the remaining two months of their homes during a two -month ceasefire.

Israel renewed its attack in Gaza on March 18 after the first stage of the ceasefire deal ended, and negotiations died in the second stage of the deal.

Israel launched its campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack across the border on October 7, 2023, when about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken into account.

At least 51201 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health in the region.