Israel’s military has admitted it gave a false account of a March 23 incident in Rafah, Gaza, in which 15 Palestinian medics were killed. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) originally claimed the emergency vehicles were moving “suspiciously” without lights, but later said that account was incorrect.
The military made the admission after The New York Times published a video that appeared to show that the emergency vehicles of the Palestinian Red Crescent and Civil Defense teams, carrying paramedics and first responders, had their emergency lights on. The video also showed the teams moving slowly and clearly marked as medical responders.
New footage has emerged from the phone of a paramedic killed in last month’s fatal strike on a convoy of ambulances in southern Gaza.
The Palestinian Red Crescent says it shows the vehicles had their headlights and flashing lights on—contradicting Israel’s initial denial. pic.twitter.com/RqHVRb6qv9
— Virgin Media News (@VirginMediaNews) April 5, 2025
Following the release of the video, the IDF said it will reinvestigate the incident: “All claims, including the documentation circulated about the incident, will be thoroughly and deeply examined to understand the sequence of events and the handling of the situation,” the IDF said.
The medics were responding to an earlier airstrike on March 23 when Israeli troops opened fire on them.
According to survivors and UN officials, the emergency crews were shot “one by one.” Their bodies—eight Red Crescent paramedics, six Civil Defence first responders, and one UN staff member—were later discovered in a shallow grave in Rafah, next to the wreckage of ambulances, a fire truck, and a UN-marked vehicle.
⚡️ Mass Grave of First Responders Found in Rafah
The Palestinian Red Crescent (PRCS) and Civil Defense teams recovered 15 bodies—including medics, rescue workers, and a UN staff member—from a mass grave in Rafah, Gaza, marked only by the emergency light of a crushed ambulance.… pic.twitter.com/nIUkIOf6i0
— War Intel (@warintel4u) March 31, 2025
On Saturday, the Israeli military released its preliminary findings into the incident, claiming that at least six of the 15 people killed were Hamas operatives. However, it did not provide any names or evidence to support the claim.
The IDF also reiterated its longstanding accusation that Hamas operates within civilian infrastructure. It denied that any executions had occurred and said troops had not tried to conceal the incident, noting that the grave’s location had been reported to the UN.
The killing of the emergency responders came days after fighting between Israel and Hamas resumed in southern Gaza. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, as of Monday, at least 1,391 Palestinians have been killed and 3,434 injured in the renewed hostilities.
