Israel’s military cites “operational errors” in deadly March strike on Gaza medics, dismisses officer but rules out war crimes charges

The Israeli military has acknowledged “professional failures” in the killing of Gaza paramedics and 15 other rescue workers, including Red Crescent medics and a UN employee, in southern Gaza. However, it stopped short of recommending criminal charges. The March 23 strike, which left emergency workers buried in a sandy grave next to their destroyed vehicles, has sparked global condemnation and raised allegations of war crimes and deliberate targeting.

In a statement issued Sunday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it would dismiss the deputy commander of the elite Golani Brigade for giving an “incomplete and inaccurate report” on the incident and breaching operational orders. Another senior officer in Rafah, where the strike occurred, will face a formal reprimand for his broader responsibility in the operation.

Despite acknowledging “a failure to fully report the incident,” the IDF’s investigation concluded that there had been no violation of the army’s code of ethics and did not recommend criminal proceedings. The findings will now be referred to the military advocate general, a move widely criticised as insufficient by human rights groups.

The killing of the eight Red Crescent paramedics, six civil defence workers, and a UN staffer during a rescue mission ignited international outrage. Initially, Israel claimed the vehicles lacked emergency signals and may have been used by Hamas. But phone video from one of the medics, recovered later, clearly showed sirens flashing and Red Crescent logos visible — contradicting the IDF’s claims.

The report attempted to explain the killings as the result of “poor night visibility” and “an operational misunderstanding,” suggesting soldiers mistook the medics’ convoy for Hamas operatives. Six of the 15 killed were identified as Hamas militants, the IDF claimed — without offering supporting evidence. The Red Crescent and the UN have firmly denied these allegations.

The paramedics were killed “one by one,” according to UN officials. The Red Crescent said the workers were deliberately targeted, some allegedly at close range. Witnesses also claimed that at least one victim had their hands bound, though a Gazan forensic pathologist, Ahmed Dhair, stated that no visible signs of restraint were found during postmortems. He noted most of the medics had gunshot wounds to the head and torso, some consistent with the use of explosive bullets.

The Israeli military said it regretted “the harm caused to uninvolved civilians” but denied trying to conceal the incident, even though soldiers crushed the vehicles and buried the bodies in a sandy grave. They justified the “evacuation” of the bodies as a standard operational procedure.

Palestinian and international legal experts quickly dismissed the IDF’s internal inquiry as a “whitewash.” Nebal Farsakh, spokesperson for the Red Crescent, called the report “full of lies” and “invalid.” She accused Israel of justifying the killings and shifting blame onto field commanders rather than addressing systemic issues.

Sawsan Zaher, a Palestinian human rights lawyer, echoed those sentiments: “The severity of this case should have led to a criminal investigation. Instead, Israel is investigating itself — again.”

Ziv Stahl of Yesh Din, an Israeli rights watchdog, said international pressure forced Israel to act swiftly, but “by taking this small disciplinary action against one commander, it undermines any chance of a wider criminal investigation.”

Daniel Machover, co-founder of Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights, said the shooting of the UN-marked vehicle alone merited a court martial. “This is not a mistake; it’s a crime,” he stated.

Last week, the Red Crescent said one of two surviving paramedics, Assad al-Nsasrah, remains in Israeli custody. Calls for justice continue as pressure mounts on Israel to allow independent international investigations.

The International Criminal Court has already accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes in connection with the killing of Gaza paramedics during recent strikes. Israel rejects the ICC’s jurisdiction, insisting that its legal system is capable of holding its forces accountable for such actions.