An Israeli military investigation into the killing of 15 Palestinian medics and a United Nations staffer during a March operation in Rafah, Gaza, concluded Sunday with the dismissal of a deputy commander and public acknowledgment of multiple "professional failures."
The findings follow widespread international condemnation of the March 23 incident, which human rights groups and the International Red Cross have described as one of the deadliest attacks on aid workers in years. The victims, including eight Red Crescent medics, six Civil Defense workers, and a U.N. employee, were shot as they responded to an earlier strike in the Tel al-Sultan district. Their bodies were bulldozed along with their vehicles and buried in a mass grave, only recovered a week later.
Maj. Gen. Yoav Har-Even, who led the investigation, said the shootings stemmed from an "operational misunderstanding." He confirmed that the deputy commander of the Golani Reconnaissance Battalion, who opened fire on the ambulances under the belief that they were Hamas-affiliated, has been relieved of duty. "It's a mistake. It can happen tomorrow - I hope it will not happen - unfortunately it happened," Har-Even said during a briefing with international media. "There was no evidence of any unethical or immoral conduct by the forces."
The military's initial claim that the ambulances were moving without emergency signals was contradicted by cellphone footage showing vehicles with flashing lights and medical insignia approaching in single file. The IDF later admitted poor night visibility through drone and goggle imagery contributed to the misidentification.
According to the report, Israeli soldiers opened fire three separate times that night. The first incident involved shooting at a vehicle allegedly tied to Hamas. In the second, troops fired on the convoy of ambulances and Civil Defense vehicles, killing 12 more people. Approximately 15 minutes later, a marked U.N. vehicle that arrived at the scene was also attacked. Drone footage, reviewed by reporters but not released publicly, shows troops firing at the U.N. vehicle as it slowly drove past the site.
"The third incident involved a breach of orders during a combat setting," Har-Even said, referring to the U.N. shooting. He added that the deputy commander gave "an incomplete and inaccurate report" regarding the attack and the visibility of the emergency vehicles.
The military asserted that six of those killed were retrospectively identified as Hamas operatives but did not provide evidence or names. Har-Even emphasized no weapons were found in the vehicles and that none of the medics were armed. One survivor remains in custody after initial confusion over his identity.
"The IDF regrets the harm caused to uninvolved civilians," the military said in a statement. "Existing protocols have been clarified and reinforced - emphasizing the need for heightened caution when operating near rescue forces and medical personnel, even in high-intensity combat zones."
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has previously stated that its personnel were "targeted at close range." Autopsy reports for the medics, reviewed by CNN, show many were shot in the head or chest. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) called for accountability. "Too many civilians, including aid workers, have been killed in Gaza. Their stories have not all made the headlines," said Jonathan Whittall, interim OCHA head in Gaza.
