DaysofPal – The General Directorate of Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip has rejected Israeli military claims alleging that ambulances were used to transport Palestinian fighters, describing the accusations as entirely unfounded.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the directorate stressed that ambulances have never been used by armed individuals under any circumstances. It categorically denied the Israeli narrative, stating that the allegations lack any factual basis.
Civil Defense officials explained that individuals shown in video footage released by the Israeli army were members of Gaza’s civilian police force. They were carrying personal firearms while carrying out their duties of organizing ambulance traffic and facilitating the evacuation of wounded civilians. These individuals were not fighters, the statement said, but civil personnel performing security and coordination tasks.
The directorate accused Israeli forces of deliberately fabricating images and selectively editing video clips to mislead public opinion and justify continued attacks on civilians. It said such claims are used to legitimize assaults on medical teams, paramedics, and ambulances while they are carrying out life-saving work.
Civil Defense officials reaffirmed their commitment to operating in accordance with international law and humanitarian conventions. They called on human rights organizations and media institutions to expose the false claims and to act urgently to protect humanitarian workers operating in the field.
On Wednesday, dozens of Palestinians in Gaza took part in the funeral procession of paramedic Hussein al-Sumairi, who was killed while attempting to rescue wounded civilians following an Israeli attack on the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
The funeral was carried out through a convoy of ambulances, joined by al-Sumairi’s colleagues from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Gaza. Earlier footage released the same day showed the moments following his injury while he was responding to an attack on tents housing displaced families in al-Mawasi.
Since 7 October 2023, Israeli forces, with US and European backing, have carried out a genocide in the Gaza Strip. The campaign has involved killing, starvation, widespread destruction, forced displacement, and mass arrests, despite repeated international appeals and rulings by the International Court of Justice calling for a halt.
According to Palestinian figures, more than 242,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured, most of them women and children. Over 11,000 people remain missing, hundreds of thousands have been displaced, famine has claimed numerous lives, and vast areas of Gaza have been reduced to rubble.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=71955
