Israeli investigation into killing of 15 Palestinian medics reveal ‘professional failures’

The Israeli Defense Forces said Sunday the investigation into the March 23 incident during which 15 Palestinian medics were killed by IDF fire in Gaza has revealed “professional errors” and a deputy commander will be fired.

The bodies of the aid workers were discovered in a shallow mass grave in southern Gaza, garnering outrage around the world. Israel previously said its soldiers shot and killed those they considered to be “terrorists” who were “advancing suspiciously.” The aid workers included paramedics, civil defense staff and a U.N. employee.

The IDF also claimed that vehicles that were approaching their position lacked headlights or emergency signals. At the time, they reported that they killed nine militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The military later walked that back after video footage from the Palestinian Red Crescent emerged that challenged their version of events. NBC News reviewed footage from the phone of a paramedic who was killed, showing an ambulance with its headlights and emergency lights flashing at the moment the soldiers opened fire. The vehicle was clearly marked with the insignia of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Flashing lights from two other vehicles are also visible in the video.

The probe, conducted by an independent team, found that troops were hampered by poor visibility and misidentified ambulances and rescue vehicles as threats during a mission targeting Hamas operatives, according to an updated report shared by the IDF Sunday. Another strike on a U.N. vehicle resulted from a breach of operational rules, the IDF’s report says.

The investigation also revealed “several professional failures, breaches of orders, and a failure to fully report the incident,” the IDF said. A commanding officer from the 14th brigade will be reprimanded, and a deputy commander will be dismissed for their role in connection with the incident.

The IDF said Sunday it “regrets the harm caused to uninvolved civilians.”

“The examination process also serves as part of an ongoing effort to learn from operational incidents and reduce the likelihood of similar occurrences in the future,” the IDF said.

The IDF said their protocol for operating near rescue forces have been “clarified and reinforced, “emphasizing the need for heightened caution.”