Recent mobile phone footage, allegedly recorded by a slain paramedic, contradicts the Israeli Defense Forces' (IDF) account regarding the killing of 15 emergency responders in Gaza. The footage shows the clearly marked ambulances preparing to assist before being targeted, prompting calls for an independent investigation into the incident.
Contradictory Evidence Emerges in Gaza Medic Killings Incident
Contradictory Evidence Emerges in Gaza Medic Killings Incident
Newly released video footage questions Israeli military's narrative of the deadly attack on Gaza ambulances.
Mobile phone footage has surfaced that seemingly challenges the Israeli military's account of a controversial incident where 15 emergency workers were killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last month. The video, released by the New York Times, is reported to have been filmed by a paramedic from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), who was among those killed during the incident on March 23.
In the footage, ambulances and a fire truck are shown moving at night with their headlights and emergency lights activated, shortly before they come under gunfire. This stands in stark contrast to the Israeli Defense Forces' (IDF) initial claim that "several uncoordinated vehicles were identified advancing suspiciously toward IDF troops without headlights or emergency signals," which prompted their attack.
A surviving paramedic, who spoke to the BBC, refuted the IDF's version of events, asserting that the vehicles were clearly marked as ambulances and had their lights fully on. The IDF has been questioned regarding the newly released video, reportedly shared with the UN Security Council by the PRCS, but has yet to provide a response.
As the footage continues to circulate, it shows the marked vehicles halting at the roadside with lights actively flashing, while emergency workers exit the vehicles. Gunfire can then be heard as the filmmaker, believed to be a deceased paramedic, recites prayers.
One week after the incident, paramedics' bodies, alongside those of six Gaza Civil Defence workers and a UN employee, were retrieved from a shallow grave, buried with their damaged vehicles. Israel had earlier claimed that militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad were among those killed during the attack, but has not supported these assertions with substantial evidence.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar reiterated the military's stance, insisting that the IDF's actions were not indiscriminate. Meanwhile, the IDF has pledged to investigate the matter further following a surviving paramedic's challenge to their narrative. Munther Abed emphasized that the paramedics were solely focused on providing medical aid, describing their operations as civilian in nature, devoid of any militant affiliations.
Dr. Younis Al-Khatib, President of the PRCS, addressed the United Nations, referencing the video and recounting the tragic final words of one paramedic before being shot: "forgive me mum, I just wanted to help people." He called for accountability and urged for a thorough independent investigation into what he termed an "atrocious crime." One paramedic from the incident remains unaccounted for, adding to the complexity and urgency of the situation.
