Israel Claims Attack On Ambulance Convoy Due To Threatened And There Are Hamas Members

Illustration of the PRCS and WHO ambulance convoys from Gaza to Rafah. (Twitter/@PalestinineRCS)

JAKARTA - The Israeli military on Monday said an initial investigation into the killing of 15 emergency workers in southern Gaza, Palestine last month showed the incident occurred "due to a sense of danger".

It said they had identified six Hamas militants who were in the vicinity of the scene during the incident in Rafah City.

In a statement, the Israeli military said it was conducting a more in-depth investigation but "initial investigations showed troops opened fire due to threats felt after previous meetings in the area", and that six people who died were "identified as Hamas militants".

Emergency workers were shot dead on March 23 and buried in a shallow grave.

The Israeli military initially said they opened fire after an unsigned vehicle approached the dark, but changed its statement after a video appeared showing ambulances and fire trucks marked clearly with lights on fire.

A more in-depth investigation will take place in the coming days and its findings will be made to the public, the Israeli military said.

The people of the Red Crescent Moon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Israel's findings.

As previously reported, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) called for an independent international investigation and said "targeting its ambulance convoy" was a "real war crime, reflecting patterns of repeated violations that are dangerous against international humanitarian law."

The emergency workers came from the Red Cross, Red Crescent, UN, and the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service.

In a press conference held on Monday to discuss the latest developments regarding the deaths of eight paramedics in Rafah, PRCS President Younis al-Katib demanded the immediate identification of the Asaad al-Nasasira paramedics, whose fate is still unknown.

The footage in the video, documented by fellow paramedics Rifaat Radwan, shows the crew's final moments as they headed for the site of the attack with an ambulance marked clearly with an emergency light on.

Although the identity of the vehicle and crew is clear, the convoy was targeted by bullet rain for nearly five minutes, as shown in the published video, quoted from WAFA.

Phone calls between the team and the central communications center revealed the shootout continued for at least two hours, with gunshots continuously heard until contact with one of the crew members was completely cut off.

The association confirmed in a statement that what happened was not a random attack or individual error, but a series of intentional attacks, starting with an ambulance shooting on its way to evacuate the people injured after a house was bombed in the Hasshin area.

This was followed by direct targeting of the association's ambulance convoy and Civil Defense, although they adhered to all safety protocols. Then, the fourth ambulance was fired upon, which was on its way to support the team.

"For nearly five days, the occupation prevented the rescue team from entering the location to search for the missing crew, arguing that the area was a red zone. They then allowed entry for a short time in which we were able to retrieve the body of a member of Civil Defense," the association said.

On March 30, the bodies of 14 paramedics, Civil Defense personnel and UNRWA employees were found piled up in black net bags in mass graves, in a brutal and degrading manner.

The association asserts that targeting an ambulance crew carrying the Red Crescent emblem, which is protected under the Geneva Convention, is a war crime.