Video Evidence Debunks Israeli Claims in Slaughter of 15 Gaza Medics

A mobile phone video has surfaced showing Israeli troops firing for over five minutes on a clearly marked convoy of ambulances and emergency workers in southern Gaza on March 23, contradicting Israel’s initial claims that the vehicles were not visibly identifiable.

The video, retrieved from the phone of paramedic Refat Radwan, one of the 15 victims, reveals that the medics were wearing reflective uniforms and their ambulances had emergency lights flashing. “Forgive me. I just wanted to help people. I wanted to save lives,” Radwan said in his final recorded moments before gunfire erupted.

Footage and forensic evidence challenge the Israeli military's claim that troops opened fire on vehicles “advancing suspiciously without headlights or emergency signals.” No weapons were found on the victims, and eyewitness accounts, autopsy results, and forensic photos suggest several medics were executed at close range, with some showing signs of being tied up.

The Israel Defense Forces said the 23 March strike targeted Hamas operative Mohammad Amin Ibrahim Shubaki and “eight other terrorists” from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. However, Shubaki was not among the bodies later recovered from a mass grave near Rafah, which included eight Red Crescent workers, six civil defence personnel, and one UNRWA employee. The IDF has not responded to questions about why the bodies were buried with their vehicles or about the signs of restraint.

“I was able to see three bodies when they were transferred to the Nasser hospital. They had bullets in their chest and head. They were executed. They had their hands tied,” Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, a senior physician at Nasser Medical Complex who examined the bodies upon their recovery, was quoted as saying by The Guardian. “They tied them so they were unable to move and then they killed them.”

He shared photographs he claimed to have taken when one of the bodies arrived at the hospital, showing a hand in a long-sleeved black shirt with a black cord tied around the wrist.

Forensic consultant Ahmad Dhaher examined five exhumed bodies at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, saying all died from gunshot wounds. One case was unconfirmed due to animal mutilation. He said the wounds suggested close-range execution, with shots to the head, heart, torso, or joints.

International teams recovered the victims’ bodies over the weekend from a mass grave near Rafah. UN video footage from the site showed crushed ambulances, a UN vehicle, and a fire truck buried under sand — reportedly bulldozed by Israeli forces. One UN worker was among the dead.

Israel’s military later acknowledged inaccuracies in its original account, stating the information about the ambulances lacking lights came from troops on the ground. It now admits the paramedics were unarmed but maintains some may have had links to Hamas, though no supporting evidence has been presented.

The Red Crescent and UN agencies have called for an independent investigation, pointing to signs of war crimes. A surviving paramedic, Munther Abed, refuted Israeli allegations, stating all vehicles had their emergency lights on and none of the workers had any militant ties.

The killings occurred just days after Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza, ending a two-month ceasefire. Since then, over 1,200 people have reportedly been killed in renewed Israeli attacks, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

The incident has triggered global outrage. The U.K.’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “Recent aid worker deaths are a stark reminder. Those responsible must be held accountable.”

As calls grow for justice, the Israeli Defense Forces have said they will conduct a “thorough examination,” though no timeline or further details have been provided.