The Israeli army said on Sunday that a review of the murder of 15 rescuers in Gaza last month found professional failures and violations of orders, but no attempt to hide the event.
The paramedics and rescuers were shot dead on March 23 near Rafah, southern Gaza.
They were buried in a shallow grave, where the bodies were found a week later by United Nations and Crescent Red Palestinian.
A commander must be reprimanded and a fired deputy commander, according to the military.
It was not said if anyone would face criminal accusations.
“The investigation identified several professional failures, order violations and the failure to completely report the event,” the military said in a statement.
“It was determined that the fire in the first two incidents resulted from an operational misunderstanding on the part of the troops, who believed it was facing a tangible threat of enemy forces. The third incident involved a violation of orders during combat,” he added.
The military reported that the deputy commander ordered the troops to open fire against individuals leaving vehicles who were later identified as a fire truck and various ambulances.
An hour earlier, soldiers fired at another vehicle that believed to belong to Hamas and the deputy commander realized that there was a threat, commented the military.
According to the authorities, the deputy commander failed to recognize the vehicles of the second incident as ambulances “due to poor night visibility.”
Fifteen Palestinians were killed in the incident. The military said, without presenting evidence, that six of them were “Hamas terrorists.”
A recovered video of one of the dead and published by the Crescent Red Palestinian showed uniformed rescuers and clearly identified firefighters and fire trucks, with the lights on, being shot by soldiers.
About 15 minutes after the soldiers opened fire on the rescue group, the military said there were shots at a UN Palestinian vehicle.
They also said there were “operational errors that violate the rules.”
The military commented that a commander would be reprimanded for his “general responsibility for the incident.” An deputy commander would be fired from his position for being the field commander and providing an “incomplete and inaccurate report” of the incident.
This content was originally published in Israel admits flaws in attack that killed rescuers in the Gaza Strip on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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