Fifteen Palestinian emergency responders were killed by Israeli forces in southern Gaza on March 23, in what many are calling a deliberate strike on medical workers.
The victims were part of a rescue convoy operated by the Palestine Red Crescent Society and other aid groups. The incident was captured on video by one of the paramedics, Rifaat Radwan, in the final moments of his life.
The Israeli military initially claimed that its forces opened fire because the convoy approached suspiciously, without headlights or visible emergency lights. They said the vehicles weren’t cleared in advance and that earlier gunfire in the area involved Hamas fighters. However, these statements were quickly challenged after footage showed that the ambulances were marked and the medics wore visible uniforms.
The video footage also appears to contradict Israeli claims. After the shooting, the bodies of the medics were buried in a shallow grave and their vehicles destroyed by a military bulldozer. Some reports allege the victims were shot at close range, and that their hands had been tied—raising serious concerns about possible executions.
Israel later backtracked on some details, admitting the vehicles may have had their lights on and blaming inaccurate statements from soldiers. The military added that six Hamas fighters were among the dead, but gave no proof. Humanitarian agencies strongly dispute this. According to the UN and Palestinian rescue groups, the dead included eight Red Crescent workers, six from Civil Defence, and one from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). No evidence has been presented showing they posed a threat.
When more medics arrived to help the wounded, they too were fired on by Israeli forces. The incident was reviewed by the Israeli army, which has begun an internal investigation. However, many question the independence of these inquiries, as they are conducted by the military itself. Such self-investigations have been the norm for alleged misconduct by Israeli forces.
Since the war in Gaza escalated in October 2023, hundreds of health workers have been killed, prompting urgent calls for accountability. This latest event has further strained the already collapsing healthcare system in Gaza and raised alarms about the targeting of humanitarian personnel in conflict zones.