Israeli probe into killing of paramedics in Gaza finds ‘no evidence’ of execution
An inquiry into the killings of Palestinian paramedics that led to international outrage has found “no evidence to support claims of execution”, the Israeli army has said in a statement.
“Such claims are blood libels and false accusations against [Israeli] soldiers,” it said.
That’s despite multiple testimonies and evidence of execution-style killings, and the Israeli army changing its account of the killings only after a video emerged contradicting its claim that the convoy had approached “suspiciously”. The footage revealed that the convoy – ambulances, a fire truck and a UN vehicle – were clearly marked and had their lights on.
The Israeli statement added that a deputy commander would be fired after the examination “identified several professional failures, breaches of orders, and a failure to fully report the incident”.
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More on Israel’s probe into Palestinian medics’ killings
Here are the main findings of the Israeli army inquiry into the killing of 15 medics and aid workers in Gaza on March 23.
- The examination found “no evidence to support claims of execution or that any of the deceased were bound before or after the shooting”. However, a video recovered from the mobile phone of a Palestinian medic showed the Israeli army opening fire on the crew while wearing reflective uniforms and travelling inside a clearly identifiable PRCS ambulance, despite earlier claims that the medics had not been clearly identifiable.
- The army claimed that vehicles and ambulances had moved along the route without obstruction throughout the day. “This indicates that the troops did not engage in indiscriminate fire but remained alert to respond to real threats identified by them,” it said.
- Army officers were on high alert for potential threats after three shooting incidents that day. They opened fire on the group “after perceiving an immediate and tangible threat”. The deputy battalion commander “assessed the vehicles as employed by Hamas forces” and the order to open fire was given “under this impression and sense of threat”.
- The victims’ bodies and the ambulances on which they had travelled were found buried near Rafah. The army said it was decided to “gather and cover the bodies to prevent further harm and clear the vehicles from the route in preparation for civilian evacuation”.
- The army claimed that six out of 15 Palestinians killed “were identified in a retrospective examination as Hamas terrorists”, but provided no evidence to back up this claim.
- “The deputy commander of the Golani Reconnaissance Battalion will be dismissed from his position due to his responsibilities as the field commander in this incident and for providing an incomplete and inaccurate report during the debrief,” it said. The commanding officer of the 14th Brigade would also receive a reprimand.
- “The [army] regrets the harm caused to uninvolved civilians,” it concluded, adding that the examination would serve to “reduce the likelihood of similar occurrences in the future”.
