Israeli Military Says Review into Killing of Gaza Aid Workers Found 'Professional Failures

 

Israeli Military Says Review into Killing of Gaza Aid Workers Found 'Professional Failures'

The Israeli military announced on Sunday that its review into the killing of 15 emergency responders in Gaza last month revealed "professional failures" and violations of orders, although it found no evidence of an attempt to conceal the incident.

The paramedics and emergency workers were shot dead on March 23 near Rafah in southern Gaza, with their bodies discovered a week later in a shallow grave by officials from the United Nations and the Palestinian Red Crescent. 

In light of the findings, the military stated that a commanding officer would face reprimands, and a deputy commander would be dismissed from his position. “The examination identified several professional failures, breaches of orders, and a failure to fully report the incident,” the military stated in a press release.

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According to the report, the initial two incidents that resulted in gunfire were attributed to an operational misunderstanding by troops, who believed they faced a tangible threat from enemy forces. The third incident involved a breach of orders during a combat situation. The deputy commander had commanded troops to open fire on individuals who emerged from vehicles later identified as a fire truck and several ambulances.

The military explained that, prior to these incidents, soldiers had fired on another vehicle they believed belonged to Hamas, which led the deputy commander to perceive a continued threat. The deputy commander reportedly did not recognize the vehicles in the second incident as ambulances due to poor visibility at night.

Fifteen Palestinians were killed during the incidents, with the military claiming, without providing evidence, that six of the deceased were “Hamas terrorists.” A video recovered from the mobile phone of one of the deceased and published by the Palestinian Red Crescent showed emergency workers in their uniforms, along with clearly marked ambulances and fire trucks with their lights on, being shot at by soldiers.

Approximately 15 minutes after the soldiers opened fire on the group of emergency responders, the Israeli military confirmed that troops also fired at a Palestinian UN vehicle, acknowledging "operational errors in breach of regulation."

As a result of the investigation, a commanding officer is set to be reprimanded for his overall responsibility for the incident, while a deputy commander will face dismissal for being the field commander and for providing an "incomplete and inaccurate report" of what transpired.