Israel Admits Mistakenly Shooting Dead Gaza Paramedics

Published APR 6 2025

Story

Above: The spokesperson of the Civil Defense Directorate in Gaza Mahmoud Basal (C) denies Israel defending the killing of paramedics in Rafah on April 2, 2025. Image credit: Dawoud Abo Alkas/Contributor/Anadolu via Getty Images

The Facts

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) on Saturday admitted to mistakenly killing eight Red Crescent workers, six Civil Defense members, and one UN staff member when troops fired on emergency vehicles last month in Rafah. The deceased were later found in a mass grave along with their crushed ambulances.
BBC News
New York Post
According to the IDF, Golani soldiers, operating under the 14th Armored Brigade, engaged alleged Hamas operatives at around 4:30 a.m. local time, and opened fire at the ambulance convoy responding to casualties in Rafah's Tel Sultan neighborhood at around 6:00 a.m.
The Jerusalem Post
Timesofisrael
The IDF has acknowledged their initial account that vehicles approached "suspiciously" without lights was incorrect and launched an investigation. However, it maintains that at least six of the deceased were linked to Hamas, though no evidence has been provided for this claim.
The New York Times
BBC News
This comes after video footage from a killed paramedic's phone, obtained by The New York Times, showed the ambulances had emergency lights on and were marked, contradicting the IDF's initial claim.
NBC
The New York Times
Previously, a surviving paramedic, Munzer Abed, testified that the team had their lights on and were in proper uniform when they responded to the emergency call in Rafah's El-Hashasheen neighborhood.
NBC
AA
The chief of the IDF Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, is leading the probe and is expected to present preliminary findings to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Sunday.
BBC News
New York Post
Ynet

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The Spin

Pro-Israel narrative

The IDF has acknowledged the possibility of an error in their original statement and is re-investigating the incident. The military's attempt to explain the situation — including identifying some victims as Hamas operatives who posed a legitimate security threat — highlights the complexity of accountability in active combat zones. Further investigation is necessary to clarify the full scope of this tragedy.

Timesofisrael

Pro-Palestine narrative

The killing of paramedics in Gaza highlights a new atrocity in a conflict marked by unrelenting violence. Israel's actions, including the targeting of healthcare workers and their vehicles, reflect a broader pattern of brutality that disregards international humanitarian law. The failure to hold perpetrators accountable perpetuates this cycle of impunity, making it likely that similar atrocities will continue.