# Video Evidence Contradicts Official Account: 15 Gaza Aid Workers Killed in March Incident
*April 5, 2025*
Newly discovered mobile phone footage has shed light on the tragic killing of 15 Palestinian emergency responders in Gaza's Rafah region, challenging the Israeli military's initial account of the March 23 incident. The footage, recovered from a phone belonging to one of the deceased paramedics, has prompted calls for an independent investigation as international organizations express outrage over what appears to be a direct attack on clearly marked humanitarian vehicles.
## The Incident and Video Evidence
On March 23, 2025, a team of Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) medics, Gaza Civil Defense workers, and a UN employee were killed while attempting to rescue colleagues who had been shot at earlier in the day in Rafah's Tel al-Sultan district. The incident resulted in the deaths of eight Red Crescent personnel, six Civil Defense workers, and one UN staff member [Associated Press].
The video, found on the phone of deceased paramedic Rifat Radwan and released by the PRCS on April 5, captures crucial moments leading up to the attack. It shows emergency vehicles with clearly visible flashing lights and logos approaching the scene of a wounded ambulance [Al Jazeera]
This visual evidence directly contradicts the Israeli Defense Forces' (IDF) initial claim that the medics' vehicles did not have their emergency signals on when troops opened fire. The footage reveals:
- Ambulances and a fire truck moving with headlights and emergency flashing lights activated
- Vehicles that were clearly marked with PRCS logos and reflective uniforms
- A rescue operation in progress as paramedics attempted to assist colleagues
- Nearly five minutes of intense gunfire, with sustained barrages followed by intermittent individual shots
In the video's audio, the voice of a paramedic can be heard reciting prayers and saying, "Forgive me mother because I chose this way, the way of helping people," followed by "The Jews are coming, the Jews are coming" in the final moments [Al Jazeera].
## Recovery Efforts and Aftermath
Following the attack, the bodies of the emergency responders remained missing for over a week. On March 31, rescue teams finally discovered the remains of the 14 Palestinian emergency workers and the UN staffer buried under a mound of sand [NPR].
Jonathan Whittall, an official with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, described the grim scene: "One by one they were hit, they were struck. Their bodies were gathered and buried in this mass grave" [NPR].
The recovery operation itself faced significant challenges. According to Middle East Eye, multiple coordinated attempts by PRCS, civil defense teams, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) were required over five days to access the area [Middle East Eye].
According to Munzer Abed, a paramedic who survived the attack, responders were dragged from their ambulances, stripped, beaten with rifle butts, and interrogated by soldiers during the chaos [Associated Press].
## Victims and Identities
The victims of the March 23 attack included well-identified emergency personnel. The Red Crescent named the employees killed as Mustafa Khafaja, Ezzedine Shaat, Saleh Muammar, Rifaat Radwan, Mohammed Bahloul, Ashraf Abu Labda, Mohammed Hilieh, and Raed Al-Sharif [The Guardian].
One paramedic, Assaad al-Nassasra, has been reported missing since the attack, according to the Red Crescent [Associated Press].
## Official Responses and Reactions
In response to the video evidence, the Israeli military stated: "All claims, including the documentation circulating about the incident, will be thoroughly and deeply examined to understand the sequence of events and the handling of the situation" [BBC News]. On Thursday, April 3, the IDF announced that a high-level military investigation was taking place to determine whether to open a criminal investigation into misconduct over the incident.
The Israeli military maintains that after the shooting, troops determined they had killed a Hamas figure named Mohammed Amin Shobaki and eight other militants [Associated Press].
However, international organizations have expressed outrage:
- The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Younes Al-Khatib, called for an independent investigation into the attack
[Associated Press].
- Gaza's Government Media Office described the incident as a "brutal and unprecedented" execution of medical and civil defense teams [Al Jazeera].
- Hamas stated that the "irrefutable visual evidence shatters the occupation's fabricated 'suspicious movement' lies" [Al Jazeera].
- The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, condemned the attack, raising concerns over possible "war crimes" by the Israeli military [Al Jazeera].
## Broader Context and Humanitarian Impact
This incident occurs against a backdrop of escalating violence in Gaza. The attack took place just one day into a renewed Israeli offensive in the area close to the Egyptian border [The Guardian].
The humanitarian toll has been severe, with the UN reporting that at least 408 aid workers have been killed in more than 17 months of war in Gaza [NPR]. According to Amnesty International, this includes at least the following:
- 280 UNRWA staff (United Nations Relief and Works Agency)
- 34 PRCS staff (Palestinian Red Crescent Society)
In the Tel al-Sultan area of Rafah where the incident occurred, Israeli forces had encircled approximately 50,000 Palestinians, cutting them off from food, water, and medical care [Middle East Eye].
The loss of these emergency responders further exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where medical infrastructure has been severely damaged and personnel are already stretched thin.
## Calls for Accountability
The release of this video footage has intensified calls for an independent investigation into the deaths of the 15 emergency responders. Humanitarian organizations emphasize that the deliberately marked vehicles and uniformed personnel should have been protected under international humanitarian law.
Munther Abed, a surviving paramedic, told the BBC: "During day and at night, it's the same thing. External and internal lights are on. Everything tells you it's an ambulance vehicle that belongs to the Palestinian Red Crescent" [BBC News].
As autopsy reports are expected to be released soon, and with international pressure mounting for a transparent investigation, this incident highlights the ongoing dangers faced by humanitarian workers in conflict zones and raises critical questions about adherence to international humanitarian law in the protection of medical personnel and facilities.
*This blog post combines information from multiple sources including Associated Press, BBC News, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, NPR, and Middle East Eye. The situation continues to develop as investigations proceed.*