Published: 8 April 2025
Last updated: 8 April 2025
A recent incident in Rafah, Gaza, has drawn international outrage following the deaths of 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers at the hands of Israeli forces.
The event, which took place on the night of 23 March, has raised serious questions about the conduct of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the targeting of humanitarian convoys, and the broader humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.
With conflicting accounts emerging from the IDF, eyewitnesses, and independent media investigations, calls for a thorough and independent inquiry are growing louder, including from the Australian government.
What happened during the incident?
On the night of 23 March, a Palestinian convoy—including an ambulance and fire trucks—approached an IDF force in the Tel Sultan neighbourhood of Rafah. Soldiers opened fire on the vehicles, which they claimed were moving in a suspicious manner.
Fifteen Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers, including at least one UN employee, were killed by the gunfire. The bodies of these health workers, along with their crushed vehicles, were discovered a week later, buried in the sand.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Palestine Red Crescent and civil defence workers were on a mission to rescue colleagues who had been fired upon earlier that day, when their clearly marked vehicles came under heavy Israeli fire in the Tel al-Sultan area of Rafah.
A Red Crescent official in Gaza said there was evidence that at least one person had been detained and killed, as one of the bodies was found with hands tied. The shootings occurred one day into the renewed Israeli offensive near the Egyptian border, following the collapse of a two-month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
What was the IDF’s initial response?
The IDF initially stated that it had opened fire because the vehicles were “advancing suspiciously” towards nearby troops without headlights or emergency signals. Sources within the division responsible for the area told Haaretz last week that the soldiers felt their lives were in danger. They said that most of the deceased had ties to Hamas, and that Hamas routinely used emergency aid vehicles to transport armed men.
It was claimed that the concentration of bodies and their temporary burial under nets was a standard IDF practice during the war, intended to prevent roaming dogs from disturbing them. The IDF typically informs Palestinians, through international agencies, about the location of such burials.
What does video show?
American and British media outlets have recently published a video which contradicts the IDF's response. The video shows that the emergency vehicles bore standard markings and had their lights flashing, contradicting the initial Israeli response. The video also supports Palestinian claims that the workers were shot at point blank range by soldiers who could see who they were.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said the video was recovered from the phone of one of the victims, Rifat Radwan, who appears to have been filmed from inside a moving vehicle. It shows a red fire engine and clearly marked ambulances driving at night with headlights and flashing emergency lights.
The footage captures the vehicles pulling over when, without warning, gunfire erupts just before dawn. The vehicle halts beside another that had driven off the road. Two men step out to inspect the stopped vehicle, during which a paramedic can be heard saying his last prayers , and moments later, gunfire breaks out before the screen goes black.
How did the IDF respond to the video?
On Saturday, an Israeli military official—speaking anonymously and quoted by The Guardian—said: “What we understand currently is that the person who gave the initial account was mistaken. We’re trying to understand why.” The official said the field report did not mention lights, and investigators were now examining “operational information” to determine whether this was due to an error by the reporting soldier.
The IDF stated that the incident remained under investigation and added: “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 investigation is being led by Maj. Gen. (res.) Yoav Har-Even, former CEO of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and head of IDF operations. It is being overseen by the Military Advocate General, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi. Just two weeks ago, Defence Minister Israel Katz attempted to dismiss her, but the Chief of Staff reaffirmed his support.
What is Australia saying about the incident?
Australia has joined international calls for an independent investigation. “The deaths of humanitarian workers in Gaza are unacceptable,” a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Penny Wong told the ABC. “Aid workers must be protected, and Australia repeats its call on all parties to abide by international humanitarian law. It is appropriate that there is a thorough and independent investigation. Those responsible must be held accountable.”
Senator Wong’s spokesperson added that more must be done to protect humanitarian workers in Gaza and globally. “Australia is leading a global push to protect aid workers and is pursuing a new Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel,” they said. “Australia calls on all parties to return to the ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza.”
READ MORE
Israeli military changes account of Gaza paramedics’ killing after video of attack (The Guardian)
Israel changes account of Gaza medic killings after video showed deadly attack (BBC)
Australia joins demands for investigation into killing of Palestinian medics (ABC)
Gaza Aid worker deaths test new IDF chief as army's recklessness spreads to West Bank (Amos Harel, Haaretz)
Video showing final moments of Gaza emergency workers casts doubt on Israeli account of killings (CNN)
IDF shares initial details from Gaza ambulance probe, says troops told UN of burial site (Times of Israel)
Forty killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza, including nine children, medical sources say (Haaretz)
Comments3
Rachel Sussman8 April at 01:06 pm
This incident is both disturbing and upsetting. It leaves the IDF in a bad place and damages its credibility.
It seems to me that some parts of the IDF begin to suffer from ‘war fatigue’ with many serving for far too long, under constant stress and with declining nampower to be replaced even for short breaks. Such situation is extremely worrisome and can leave soldiers prone to making unfortunate and deadly mistakes. It for sure needs to be deeply investigated and if true, the IDF must be held accountable. A sorrowful event all around.
Ramon Capel8 April at 07:39 am
The difference with other cases reported in this case is that there is a phone that recorded what was going on and it has been found. Next time the phone will not be found.
I have a question: Is killing 50,000 people in a confined land not a serious matter or should it reach a certain number?
Having suffered injustice for as long as anyone can remember is no excuse for any act. The children who have been abused are the ones who are then abused in revenge.
Wesley Parish8 April at 07:30 am
Earlier this week I dropped on over to TheOnion, and found something that corresponds almost exactly to the IDF’s explanation: Death of chopped-up woman ruled a suicide:
https://theonion.com/death-of-chopped-up-woman-ruled-a-suicide/
But much, much earlier, I also read Simon Louvish’s City of Blok, a must-read for anyone wishing to get a grasp on the matter of Israel and Palestine, and he includes the following: “A new joke was extant: Palestinians could fly. Bullets officially fired in the air kept striking them in the legs or torso.”
A succinct characterisation of the IDF’s truthfulness and penchant for writing fantasy.