15 Medics Killed in Gaza Attack: UN & Israel's Differing Claims

Photo: AFP

There are different stories about a tragic event that happened in Gaza on March 23. Israeli soldiers fired at ambulances, and later, 15 bodies were found buried in the sand. Now, people are trying to figure out the truth about what happened.

Who Were the People Killed?

The United Nations (UN) said that the people who died were emergency workers, such as medics and rescue staff. They had rushed to help after getting calls from people trapped in bombed areas of southern Gaza. Most of them were from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and Gaza’s civil defence team. One person who worked with the UN refugee agency (UNRWA) was also killed, and another emergency worker is still missing.

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What Happened That Day?

The event took place while Israeli troops were surrounding the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. Many civilians were stuck there under heavy bombing. After receiving emergency calls, the PRCS sent 10 medics in four ambulances to the Barksat and Hashashin areas. At the same time, Gaza’s civil defence agency sent six more emergency workers in an ambulance and fire trucks to a different bombing site nearby.

But something went wrong. The PRCS said they lost contact with their team when they reached Hashashin, and they were surrounded by Israeli troops. The civil defence agency also lost contact with its team.

What Did the Israeli Military Say?

The Israeli army said their soldiers fired at what they believed were “terrorists” coming towards them in suspicious vehicles. They said they did not randomly shoot at ambulances.

An army spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, said the vehicles didn’t have proper permission to be in the area. The military also said they killed a man named Mohammad Amin Ibrahim Shubaki, who they claimed was a Hamas fighter, along with eight others they called “terrorists” from Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

But they didn’t say anything about the other six people who were killed. Hamas has not said anything about Shubaki’s reported death.

The army said it is now investigating the incident but insisted that it was not a case of executing people.

What Did the UN Find?

Jonathan Whittall, a senior UN official, said the bodies were found still in their uniforms, wearing medical gloves, clearly showing they were on duty. He added that the bodies had been buried in sand and covered with cloth.

Israeli officials claimed they did this to protect the bodies until they could be taken out properly with help from international groups.

In the past, Israel has said that some militants use ambulances to hide or escape. They have even released videos they say prove this.

What Did the Search Teams Find?

At first, the PRCS said one medic was taken by Israeli troops. Later, that medic was released, but the others were still missing.

On March 27, Gaza’s civil defence agency went to the area and found the destroyed ambulances, fire trucks, and safety equipment. They also found the bodies of the missing workers. The team leader, Anwar Al Attar, was the only one they could take out that day because Israel gave them only two hours to search.

Three days later, on March 30, a second search was done with help from the UN. This time, they found the rest of the bodies.

Whittall said the victims had been buried together in one place, marked by the flashing light of one of the crushed ambulances. He also said that nearby, a UN vehicle and other emergency vehicles had been completely smashed.

The UNRWA spokesperson, Juliette Touma, confirmed that their worker was found in the crushed UN vehicle.

What’s Still Not Clear?

Many questions remain. The UN and Palestinian groups say 15 medics were killed, but Israel only admits to killing nine people, all of whom they say were militants.

It’s also not clear whether all the vehicles were traveling together or attacked at the same time. According to Whittall, the ambulances were hit one after another as they entered Rafah.

This tragic event has caused deep sadness and anger. Families, aid workers, and international leaders are still waiting for answers.