The Israeli military has described its killing of 15 emergency employees in Gaza and burying them and their automobiles as a “skilled error”.
The our bodies of 14 humanitarian employees had been present in a mass grave together with their crushed automobiles every week after coming below Israeli hearth in late March. One physique had been discovered just a few days earlier than.
The military mentioned it had “shrouded” the our bodies with material and sand to guard them till humanitarian organisations might retrieve them.
Israel had blocked entry to the location for days, later insisting it was not an attempt to cover up the assault.
Right here’s what to know concerning the assault, Israel’s claims and the way the investigation stacks up in opposition to different proof:
What occurred to the emergency employees and automobiles in Gaza?
- March 23: About 4am (01:00 GMT), a Palestine Purple Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulance was dispatched to hitch an earlier one serving to folks injured in an Israeli air strike in Rafah’s al-Hashaashin space.
- Contact was misplaced with it, and the primary ambulance went again out to seek out it about 5am. The paramedics radioed again that they may see casualties on the bottom on the way in which to Tal as-Sultan, one other space in southern Gaza.
- Two extra ambulances had been dispatched together with a firetruck and different emergency automobiles. They got here below Israeli gunfire for greater than 5 minutes. Minutes later, troopers additionally fired at a United Nations automotive that stopped on the scene. The PRCS misplaced contact with its crew.
- March 24: The Israeli navy blocked entry to the location of the assaults.
- March 27-28: United Nations and Palestinian officers achieve restricted entry to the realm, recovering the automobiles and our bodies of a Gaza Civil Defence member.
- March 30: The bodies of 5 Civil Defence responders, a UN worker and eight PRCS employees are present in a shallow grave. A ninth PRCS employee, Assaad al-Nassasra, is being held by Israel, PRCS confirmed later. In complete, Israel killed 15 emergency employees within the assault.
What did video proof present?
A video found on the phone of slain paramedic Rifaat Radwan reveals the crew’s closing moments.
The video, filmed from inside one of many final two ambulances to go out, reveals a firetruck and ambulances driving forward via the evening.
All automobiles had been clearly recognized with emergency lights flashing.
The automobiles stopped once they see an ambulance and our bodies by the roadside, and first responders in reflective uniforms exit the automobiles. Moments later, intense gunfire erupts.
Because the gunfire continues, Radwan might be heard asking his mom for forgiveness and reciting the Islamic declaration of religion, the Shahada, earlier than he dies.
What did the Israeli investigation say?
After a evaluate, the Israeli navy described the killings as “skilled failures” and a “misunderstanding”. No person has been charged.
It dismissed a deputy commander for “offering an incomplete report” and reprimanded a commanding officer.
Main Common Yoav Har-Even, who carried out the evaluate, mentioned two responders had been killed in an preliminary incident, 12 folks had been killed in a second taking pictures and one other particular person was killed in a 3rd incident.
“The hearth within the first two incidents resulted from an operational misunderstanding by the troops, who believed they confronted a tangible menace from enemy forces. The third incident concerned a breach of orders throughout a fight setting,” the navy assertion mentioned.
Troops bulldozed over the our bodies and their mangled automobiles, however the investigation mentioned that was not an try to hide the assault.
The Army Advocate Common’s Corps, meant to be an impartial physique below Israel’s lawyer common and Supreme Courtroom, can now determine whether or not to file civil expenses.
How did Israel clarify taking pictures the ambulances?
The investigative report mentioned troopers didn’t recognise the ambulances resulting from “poor evening visibility” and since flashing lights are much less seen on night-vision drones and goggles.
It additionally blamed the now-dismissed deputy commander, saying he mistakenly thought the ambulance was being utilized by Hamas and opened hearth first.
Israel has tried to justify earlier assaults on protected entities by saying Hamas hides amongst civilians and makes use of ambulances to hold out operations.
Har-Even informed reporters that one of many humanitarian employees on the scene was questioned over suspected Hamas hyperlinks. The person, Munther Abed, was launched the following day.
Earlier than the video of the assault was discovered, Israel’s navy had mentioned the ambulances had been “advancing suspiciously” in direction of its troopers “with out headlights or emergency indicators”.
How did Israel clarify taking pictures uniformed medics?
The primary responders had been “of their uniforms, nonetheless carrying gloves” once they had been killed, mentioned Jonathan Whittall, the pinnacle of the UN Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) within the Palestinian territory.
Gaza Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal mentioned a number of crew members had been discovered with their arms and toes sure and bullet wounds to the pinnacle and torso, indicating they had been executed at shut vary after being recognized as humanitarian employees.
With out providing proof, the Israeli investigative report mentioned six of these killed had been “Hamas members” though no Palestinian fighters had been reported discovered within the mass grave.
Har-Even informed reporters that no paramedic was armed and no weapons had been present in any car.
An Israeli navy official mentioned the our bodies had been lined “in sand and material” to protect them till their retrieval may very well be coordinated with worldwide organisations.
The military additionally mentioned it has discovered “no proof to help claims of execution” and “such claims are blood libels and false accusations in opposition to [Israeli] troopers”.
How completely does Israel examine itself?
Human rights teams and worldwide authorized specialists mentioned Israel’s self-reviews usually lack independence and transparency.
Israel mentioned it critiques its navy’s conduct via inside probes led by its navy advocate common, who decides whether or not to pursue legal investigations.
However the navy has a monitor report of denying wrongdoing, contradicting itself or blaming low-ranking people with out broader repercussions for the armed forces.
In 2022, it claimed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Palestinian hearth till a number of media investigations debunked that. Israel later admitted it might have shot her “by accident” however dominated out a legal probe.
In January, the Worldwide Prison Courtroom’s prime prosecutor defended searching for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, citing Israel’s failure to genuinely examine allegations of warfare crimes.
How have critics responded?
The PRCS and the Israeli rights organisation Breaking the Silence have rejected the findings of the Israeli probe.
“It’s incomprehensible why the occupation troopers buried the our bodies of the paramedics,” PRCS President Younis al-Khatib informed Al Araby TV.
He mentioned proof such because the video proved “the falsehood of the occupation’s narrative”, including that the Israeli military communicated with the paramedics earlier than killing them.
