Israel admits errors in Gaza ambulance attack

Israeli army acknowledges soldiers mistakenly fired on a convoy of emergency workers in Gaza, killing 15, after wrongly identifying them as threats.

Israel's army admitted that its soldiers made mistakes in the killing of 15 emergency workers in southern Gaza on March 23, although it maintains some victims had links to Hamas.

A convoy consisting of Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulances, a UN vehicle, and a Gaza Civil Defence fire truck came under fire near Rafah.

Initially, Israel claimed the troops opened fire because the convoy approached "suspiciously" in darkness without headlights or emergency lights, and without prior coordination with Israeli forces.

However, mobile phone footage from one of the paramedics killed showed the vehicles did have their lights on while responding to calls for assistance.

An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official explained that soldiers had previously fired at a car containing three Hamas members. When emergency vehicles approached the same area, aerial surveillance alerted soldiers on the ground to a "suspicious advance."

The soldiers opened fire as the ambulances stopped near the Hamas vehicle, mistakenly perceiving a threat despite no evidence that emergency workers were armed.

Israel acknowledged its initial claim that the convoy was traveling without lights was incorrect, blaming the mistake on the soldiers involved. While it maintains that at least six of the medics had connections to Hamas, Israel has provided no evidence supporting this claim and admits the medics were unarmed when fired upon.

The Red Crescent and other international organizations are demanding an independent investigation.

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