The probe concludes that soldiers felt an immediate threat and believed they were firing at Hamas vehicles. According to the army, the soldiers did not identify weapons in the possession of the aid workers, and the shooting of a UN vehicle violated orders
The IDF released on Sunday its probe into last month’s killing of aid workers in southern Gaza, in which Israeli soldiers shot at a convoy of ambulances and a UN vehicle. The investigation found no evidence “to support claims of execution or that any of the deceased were bound before or after the shooting.”
The probe was led by Maj. Gen. Yoav Har-Even and found that the soldiers in the field operated in a “reasonable manner relative to the operational situation.”
The army admitted that some of the soldiers involved in the incident gave false testimonies, leading to errors in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit initial statement on the matter. Some soldiers initially claimed the vehicles were driving without lights or coordination, that one of them was not an ambulance, that there were 14 fatalities, and that the vehicles were buried a day or two after the incident.
According to the army’s report, IDF troops were conducting “a vital mission aimed at targeting terrorists” on the night of the incident, March 23, when three separate shooting incidents occurred.
Following the report, the army decided to dismiss the deputy commander of the Golani Reconnaissance Battalion, “due to his responsibilities as the field commander in this incident and for providing an incomplete and inaccurate report during the debrief.”
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the army chief’s decision to dismiss the deputy commander “a grave mistake.”
"Our combat soldiers, who are sacrificing their lives in Gaza, deserve our full support," he said in a statement Sunday. “I call on the chief of staff to reverse his decision.”
In the first incident, the troops fired at a vehicle the army says they identified as a Hamas vehicle, killing two people. An interrogator from the battalion spoke with a paramedic who had been detained in that incident and, based on the conversation, determined that they were Hamas operatives. According to the investigation, it was only in the morning that the troops realized there was no connection between the aid workers and Hamas, and the detainee was released.
About an hour after the first shooting incident, the troops opened fire at suspects emerging from a fire truck and ambulances after “perceiving an immediate and tangible threat.”
According to the examination, the deputy battalion commander assessed the vehicles as employed by Hamas forces “due to limited visibility at night,” and believed they arrived to assist the passengers from the first shooting incident. Twelve workers were killed in that incident. The report determined that the shooting in these first two incidents resulted from a misunderstanding by the troops, who believed they were in danger.
The third incident revolves around a shooting at a Palestinian UN vehicle “due to operational errors,” in which one person was killed. While the investigation concluded that the first two incidents occurred “due to a misjudgment of the operational situation by the force,” it was determined that the gunfire in the third incident was carried out in violation of orders.
The brigade commander decided to destroy the ambulances and bury the bodies in the area. According to the investigation, the decision to gather and cover the bodies was intended to protect them from further harm and to clear the route, not to conceal the incident.
According to the army, the decision was even coordinated with the UN and international organizations operating in the Strip. Nevertheless, the probe determined that the destruction of the ambulances was a result of poor judgment aimed at preventing the exposure of IDF forces.
“Removing the bodies was reasonable under the circumstances, but the decision to crush the vehicles was wrong,” the report said.
The investigation also claimed that the incident stemmed from “operational experience that has repeatedly shown Hamas uses medical personnel for terror, including the use of ambulances to transport militants and weapons.”
At the same time, the IDF said it “regrets harm to uninvolved individuals” and that “instructions regarding the required caution toward rescue forces and medical workers have been clarified and reinforced.” The findings of the probe will be forwarded to the Military Advocate General for review.
Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that autopsies of the victims found that most of them died from gunshot wounds to the head or chest. Several of the bodies were missing limbs or other body parts, as the reports reviewed by the Times showed.
According to the New York Times, the autopsies, conducted by Dr. Ahmad Dhair of the Gaza Health Ministry’s forensic unit, were later analyzed by Dr. Arne Stray-Pedersen, a Norwegian forensic pathologist.
The Times reviewed the autopsy results for all casualties besides the UN employee. The autopsies indicated that most victims were in uniform at the time of the attack and had clearly identifiable reflective markings.
