'Forgive me mum'. The dramatic audio in the phone of the operator killed in Gaza. Idf admits: 'Ambulances had lights on'
Video footage from the mobile phone of one of the 15 Palestinian doctors killed comes to light
3' min read
3' min read
The IDF outlined the first results of its investigation into the killing of 15 aid workers a fortnight ago in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, when soldiers opened fire on an ambulance convoy after "identifying it as a threat": the army acknowledges that the claim that the ambulances had their lights off was incorrect and was based on the testimony of soldiers present. Video footage published today by the New York Times showed that the ambulances were clearly identifiable and had their lights on, debunking the first Israeli version of the incident.
The newspaper reports that the video was discovered on the mobile phone of one of the 15 Palestinian doctors killed, who according to the UN was buried in a mass grave. In this week's statement, the IDF spokesman for international media - Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani - said that the army "did not randomly attack an ambulance on 23 March" and that "following an initial assessment, it has been established that the forces eliminated a Hamas military operative, Mohammad Amin Ibrahim Shubaki, who had taken part in the 7 October massacre, along with eight other Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists".
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had announced the opening of an in-depth investigation. The Times of Israel reports that. "Regarding the shooting towards the ambulance convoy in Tel Sultan on 23 March, a thorough investigation is underway," the army said in response to a request for clarification. "All allegations, including published documentation, will be carefully and thoroughly examined to understand the troops' conduct during the incident."
"Forgive me, mother...": in the video the dramatic audio of the health worker
The video appears to contradict Israeli claims that the ambulances did not have their emergency lights on when soldiers opened fire on them in southern Gaza. The footage shows the Red Crescent and Civil Defence teams driving slowly with their emergency vehicle lights flashing and logos visible, as they stop to help another ambulance that had previously come under fire.
The teams do not appear to be acting in an unusual or threatening manner when three doctors get out and head towards the stricken ambulance. Their vehicles are immediately met by a barrage of gunfire, which continues for more than 5 minutes with brief pauses.
