The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have admitted to making errors in a deadly incident near Rafah, Gaza, in which 15 emergency workers were killed after Israeli forces opened fire on a humanitarian convoy on March 23. The convoy, which included Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulances, a UN vehicle, and a Civil Defence fire truck, was responding to an emergency call when it came under attack.
Initially, Israel claimed the convoy approached “suspiciously” in the dark without headlights or proper coordination. However, newly surfaced mobile phone footage recorded by slain paramedic Refat Radwan showed the vehicles had their lights on and were clearly marked. The IDF has since retracted the earlier claim, attributing the inaccurate information to the soldiers on the ground.
An IDF official briefing journalists said soldiers had earlier targeted a car carrying Hamas members, and that the ambulances later approached the scene “suspiciously,” prompting further fire. Though the IDF maintains that at least six of the medics were affiliated with Hamas, it has yet to provide evidence, and acknowledged that none of the victims were armed at the time.
The graphic mobile footage, published by the New York Times, captured the convoy arriving at the scene before gunfire erupted. Radwan is heard praying as bullets hit, and the video ends as Israeli troops are heard approaching. Bodies of the medics were reportedly buried in sand by Israeli forces, and only recovered a week later when international teams gained access to the site.
The IDF denies claims that the medics were executed or handcuffed, stating the shooting was based on misjudgment. The Red Crescent and multiple international organizations are calling for an independent investigation, expressing deep concern over the targeting of humanitarian personnel.
Israel resumed its military offensive in Gaza on March 18 following the collapse of a ceasefire deal. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, over 50,600 people have been killed since the war began, sparked by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 taken hostage.
