The Israeli military has admitted errors in a March 23 strike that killed 15 emergency workers near Rafah, Gaza. Troops fired on marked ambulances and fire trucks, believing they faced a threat. A deputy commander who ordered the strike is being dismissed, while a senior officer will be reprimanded.
Video footage from a victim’s phone, shared by the Palestinian Red Crescent, shows soldiers firing on uniformed medics and emergency vehicles with flashing lights. Despite this, the Israeli military claimed poor night visibility led to misidentification.
The military also fired on a UN vehicle 15 minutes later, blaming it on operational mistakes. Bodies of the aid workers were later buried in a shallow grave, discovered by UN and Red Crescent teams. Israel said removing the bodies was to prevent further harm.
Israel claims six of the 15 killed were linked to Hamas but offered no evidence. Hamas has denied this. International groups, including the UN and Red Cross, are demanding full accountability and transparency.