According to a BBC News report, new mobile phone footage has raised serious questions about the Israeli military’s explanation for a deadly attack on a group of ambulances and a fire truck in Gaza on March 23. The attack killed 15 rescue workers, including paramedics, Gaza Civil Defence staff, and a UN employee.
The video, shared by the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), shows that the emergency vehicles had their headlights and flashing emergency lights on before being fired upon. The vehicles were clearly marked and were moving at night when they were shot at. The footage came from the phone of a paramedic who died in the attack. His phone was found after his body was recovered from a shallow grave a week later.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) originally said that the vehicles did not have lights or signals on and claimed they were targeting militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad. However, they have not provided evidence to support this claim.
After the video surfaced, the IDF told the BBC it would “thoroughly and deeply” examine the footage and investigate the situation.
One surviving paramedic, Munther Abed, told the BBC that the ambulances had their lights on and were clearly identifiable. “We are civilians. We only provide medical help. We have no connection to any militant groups,” he said.
In the video, the person filming — believed to be one of the victims — can be heard praying while gunfire continues for several minutes. PRCS President Dr. Younis Al-Khatib shared the video with the United Nations, quoting the paramedic’s last words: “Forgive me mum, I just wanted to help people. I wanted to save lives.”
Dr. Al-Khatib called for accountability and demanded an independent and thorough investigation, describing the incident as an “atrocious crime.”
International teams struggled for days to reach the site due to safety concerns. When they arrived, they found the bodies of the rescue workers and their destroyed vehicles buried in sand.
One paramedic is still missing following the attack. The PRCS and international organizations are urging the global community to investigate and seek justice for the victims.
