Israeli Military Revises Account of Gaza Aid Worker Fatalities

JERUSALEM - The Israeli military has amended its original statement regarding the deaths of 15 emergency responders in southern Gaza, specifically near the city of Rafah, while investigations into the incident remain ongoing.

The fatalities occurred on March 23, when the paramedics and emergency personnel were reportedly shot and later found buried in a shallow grave a week later by officials from the United Nations and the Palestinian Red Crescent. One individual remains unaccounted for.

Initially, the military claimed that its forces had opened fire on vehicles approaching their position under suspicious circumstances, citing that the vehicles lacked lights or markings. According to this initial report, nine militants affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad were said to be traveling in vehicles belonging to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

However, footage retrieved from the mobile device of one of the deceased individuals, which was subsequently released by the Palestinian Red Crescent, depicts emergency workers in their uniforms and identifiable ambulances and fire trucks, all with lights activated, coming under fire from military personnel.

The only known survivor of the incident, Munther Abed, a paramedic with the Palestinian Red Crescent, corroborated the claim that soldiers targeted the clearly marked emergency response vehicles.

On Saturday, an Israeli military official indicated that investigators are reviewing the video evidence, with findings expected to be presented to military leadership shortly. The official acknowledged that the initial field report did not mention the presence of lights and suggested there may have been an error in the reporting process.

"Current understanding suggests a mistake was made in the initial account. We are investigating the reasons behind this discrepancy," the official stated.

Reports from Israeli media outlets, based on military briefings, suggest that troops have identified at least six of the deceased as members of militant organizations. However, the military has refrained from disclosing specific evidence or details regarding these identifications, citing the need to protect classified information.

"According to our intelligence, there were individuals affiliated with terrorist groups among those killed, but the investigation is still in progress," the official remarked during a press briefing.

The United Nations and the Palestinian Red Crescent have called for an independent inquiry into the deaths of the emergency responders. Reports indicate that a total of 17 personnel from the Red Crescent, Civil Emergency service, and the U.N. had been deployed to provide assistance following injuries sustained in Israeli airstrikes.

Aside from Abed, who was briefly detained before being released, another emergency worker is still missing. The U.N. indicated last week that available information suggested that one team was targeted by Israeli forces, while other aid groups were subsequently attacked over several hours as they sought their missing colleagues.

Initial findings from the military investigation revealed that troops fired upon a vehicle around 4 a.m., resulting in the deaths of two members of Hamas's internal security forces. One individual was taken into custody and reportedly admitted to being affiliated with Hamas during interrogation.

As time progressed, additional vehicles traversed the road, and around 6 a.m., military personnel received aerial reconnaissance indicating a suspicious group of vehicles was approaching.

The official claimed that soldiers believed they were encountering another situation similar to the earlier incident and opened fire accordingly. He added that aerial footage showed troops were positioned at a considerable distance when they initiated fire, denying claims that they had handcuffed any of the paramedics and shot them at close range.

"There was no close-range shooting; the fire was directed from a distance," he explained, emphasizing that there was no mistreatment of the individuals involved.

According to the official, the soldiers reported the incident to the U.N. on the same day and initially covered the bodies with camouflage netting until they could be removed. He stated that when the U.N. did not arrive promptly to retrieve the bodies, soldiers covered them with sand to prevent animal interference.

The vehicles involved were reportedly moved by heavy engineering equipment to clear the road, though the official could not account for why they were subsequently crushed and buried. The U.N. confirmed last week that it had been informed of the bodies' location but was denied access to the area by Israeli authorities for several days. The bodies were ultimately found buried alongside their damaged vehicles, which included ambulances, a fire truck, and a U.N. vehicle.