New Video Evidence Challenges Israeli Narrative on Gaza Medic Deaths

Mobile footage released by the New York Times shows marked ambulances under fire, contradicting the Israeli Defense Forces' assertions. Survivors and humanitarian leaders call for accountability amidst international scrutiny.

Video footage released recently challenges the Israeli military's account of a deadly incident in Gaza last month, where Israeli forces killed 15 emergency workers, including medics. The clip, shared by the New York Times, was reportedly recorded by a Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) paramedic who lost his life during the event on March 23. It displays ambulances and a fire truck operating in the dark with their headlights and emergency lights activated before they were allegedly shot at.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) initially contended that their troops fired upon vehicles they deemed was advancing suspiciously without lights. However, a surviving paramedic rebuffed this, asserting that their vehicles were clearly identified and fully illuminated. The IDF has yet to respond to this new evidence, which the PRCS has shared with the United Nations Security Council.

The footage reveals marked emergency vehicles halting at the edge of the road, with personnel emerging in reflective gear as gunfire erupts. It's noteworthy that the recording was discovered on the deceased paramedic's phone after he was buried in a shallow grave following the incident. Post-incident, international organizations faced challenges gaining access to retrieve the bodies of those killed, which included eight paramedics, six civil defense workers, and a UN employee.

Israeli officials maintain that the incident may have resulted in the death of Hamas and Islamic Jihad members but have yet to provide supporting evidence. Israel's Foreign Minister recently reiterated claims that the IDF did not target ambulances arbitrarily, while the IDF agreed to investigate the claims made by the surviving paramedic.

In a poignant statement to the United Nations, Dr. Younis Al-Khatib, President of the PRCS, referred to the heartbreaking last words of one fallen team member, expressing the desire to assist those in need. He has since called for a thorough and independent investigation into what he labeled an "atrocious crime," as the search continues for one remaining unaccounted medic from that day.