DayofPal– The Israeli army has released the findings of its internal investigation into the March 23 incident in southern Gaza that resulted in the killing of 15 Palestinian medics and aid workers in Rafah.
The army denied the execution or mistreatment of the medics, acknowledging significant errors in the operation, including the misidentification of a medical convoy as a threat and the provision of an inaccurate field report.
According to the army’s report, a deputy battalion commander ordered fire on a group of aid workers, many of whom were wearing reflective uniforms and traveling in a clearly marked Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulance after “perceiving an immediate and tangible threat.” This order came amid heightened alert due to three earlier shooting incidents that day.
The report conceded that the vehicles “had moved along the route without obstruction throughout the day,” suggesting that the troops had not engaged in indiscriminate fire, but rather acted based on what they believed to be a credible threat.
The bodies of the victims and their ambulances were later found buried near Rafah. The military said the burial was carried out to “prevent further harm” and clear the area for civilian evacuation.
The army claimed that six of the 15 Palestinians killed were identified “in a retrospective examination” as Hamas fighters, but offered no supporting evidence.
As a result of the investigation, the deputy commander of the Golani Reconnaissance Battalion will be dismissed from his position for operational failures and submitting an “incomplete and inaccurate” debrief. The commander of the 14th Brigade will be formally reprimanded.
The military expressed regret over the incident. “The [army] regrets the harm caused to uninvolved civilians,” the statement read, adding that the inquiry would help “reduce the likelihood of similar occurrences in the future.”
The True Story
Israeli authorities initially claimed that the convoy of Palestinian ambulances and emergency vehicles were unclearly marked and had been advancing “suspiciously” when they were fired upon.
Contrary to Israeli claims, The New York Times later obtained footage showing the final moments of the medics that strongly contradicted the Israeli version of events, showing the vehicles clearly marked with flashing lights coming under sustained gunfire for about five minutes. The convoy was clearly identifiable as a humanitarian mission.
Eight Palestinian Red Crescent personnel were killed, along with six Civil Defense workers and a UN staffer. Israeli forces bulldozed the bodies and the vehicles and buried them in a mass grave.
The incident caused a global outrage and brought spotlight on the conduct of Israeli forces in Gaza during its 18 months of devastating war.
Israeli political analyst Akiva Eldar says Israel’s killing of the Palestinian paramedics points to an “atmosphere of impunity” for human rights abuses in Gaza.
“What we know is that we cannot trust the Israeli [military]. Unless The New York Times would have gotten hold of that video clip, I don’t think that we would know the truth,” Eldar told Al Jazeera. “It would be another cover-up.”
“There is an atmosphere of impunity in Gaza,” he added. “Every soldier is the general, and he can decide how to behave and what to do. And Israeli public opinion was, in the best case, indifferent and, in the worst case, was supporting this kind of conduct, so I hope something will happen.”
Long Record of Lies
Israel has a track record of denying accusations of wrongdoings and contradicting itself. Past probes have exonerated the armed forces or placed the blame on a single individual, without broader repercussions.
In January, the International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor has defended the decision to issue arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defence chief as the country failed to probe allegations of war crimes in Gaza itself. Karim Khan said the ICC had not seen “any real effort” by Israel to take “action that would meet the established jurisprudence.”
Last year, the Israeli Army said claims by Palestinian authorities that the Israeli military had buried bodies in Gaza’s Nasser Hospital were “baseless and unfounded”, despite nearly 400 bodies having been recovered from mass graves after Israeli soldiers departed the complex.
In 2022, Israel initially claimed Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh had been shot by Palestinian fighters in Jenin. The prime minister’s office even tweeted a video of Palestinian gunmen shooting in the refugee camp which was debunked within hours.
Following investigations by international media, Israel conceded to the possibility that it had “accidentally hit” the veteran journalist but said it would not be launching a criminal investigation.
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