The Australian government has joined calls for an independent investigation into the Israeli Defense Force’s (IDF) killing of 15 emergency workers in Gaza last month.
It comes after the IDF said it was “mistaken“ in its initial investigation, when it claimed the workers had been travelling in unmarked vehicles that had “advanced suspiciously” without headlights.
However, a video from one of the paramedics’ phones appeared to show the ambulances and fire truck with flashing lights.
The IDF has now launched a further investigation.
What happened?
According to the United Nations, eight Palestinian medics, six civil defence first responders and a UN staff member were assisting in Rafah when the IDF attacked their convoy on 23 March.
The UN later recovered the bodies of 15 people in a mass grave near Rafah.
At the time, the IDF claimed the group had been “advancing suspiciously” towards Israeli troops “without headlights, or emergency signals”.
Video
Over the weekend, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) released a video from one of the paramedics’ phones who was killed in the attack. The footage was published by the New York Times.
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The footage appeared to show the labelled ambulances and fire truck, along with their flashing lights.
Following the video’s publication, the IDF said that its original investigation had been “mistaken”.
In a briefing to reporters, an IDF spokesperson did not provide an explanation for the original description of the aid workers.
However, the IDF claimed on Monday that a preliminary investigation found the troops opened fire due to a “perceived threat”. The IDF has previously accused Hamas of using ambulances to transport fighters and weapons.
It also claimed six of the individuals killed in the incident were identified as Hamas members, but did not provide further evidence of this claim.
Response
The PRCS is now calling for an independent international investigation into the attack.
“Targeting ambulance crews bearing the Red Crescent emblem - protected under the Geneva Conventions - constitutes a war crime,” the PRCS said in a statement.
Australia’s Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, joined other countries, including Germany and the UK, in calling for an independent probe.
