Israel admits killing 15 Palestinian aid workers in Gaza

The Israeli military has acknowledged that it made significant mistakes in the killing of 15 Palestinian emergency workers during a tragic incident in southern Gaza on March 23.

The acknowledgment follows the release of a disturbing video that captured the final moments of the victims, contradicting the Israeli army’s initial claims about the attack.

The victims, members of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), were part of a convoy providing emergency medical and rescue services. This convoy, which also included a United Nations vehicle and a Gaza Civil Defense fire truck, came under fire by Israeli forces near Rafah. The Israeli army had initially defended its actions, stating that the vehicles were advancing “suspiciously” without headlights, suggesting that they posed a threat.

However, footage obtained by The New York Times, shot on a mobile phone by one of the deceased, shows otherwise. The video clearly reveals that the vehicles had their lights on and were responding to an urgent call for help, not engaged in any suspicious activity.

The tragic deaths, which were not immediately reported, were only confirmed after the bodies were discovered a week later in a mass grave in Rafah. Of the 15 victims, eight were identified as PRCS members, five as Civil Defense workers, and one as a United Nations employee.

While the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) initially claimed that they had fired on a vehicle carrying Hamas members, they later admitted that their prior statements about the vehicles not having headlights were inaccurate. The attack has sparked outrage and calls for accountability in the ongoing conflict.