Israeli Military Admits Failures in Gaza Aid Worker Killings, Dismisses Field Commander After March 2025 Incident

Israel's military admitted to "professional failures" in the March 23, 2025, killing of 15 aid workers in Rafah, Gaza, after an internal investigation. The probe led to the dismissal of a field commander and reprimand of a brigade commander. Israeli special forces mistakenly fired on marked emergency vehicles, believing them to be used by Hamas. The incident has drawn international condemnation and calls for independent investigations. Humanitarian groups and Palestinian officials criticized the IDF's findings as inadequate, demanding accountability and questioning the credibility of the investigation.

IDF Investigation Reveals Operational Missteps

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released the results of its internal probe on April 21, stating that a series of “professional failures, breaches of orders, and a failure to fully report the incident” led to the deaths of 15 humanitarian workers in Rafah, southern Gaza. The victims included eight paramedics from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), six members of Gaza’s civil defense rescue agency, and one employee of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

According to the IDF, the killings occurred during three separate predawn attacks at the same location. The report described the shootings as stemming from an “operational misunderstanding” by troops who believed the ambulances were being used by Hamas operatives. The field commander who ordered the strikes was dismissed from his position, while the brigade commander overseeing the operation received a formal reprimand.

Aid Workers Targeted and Buried

The investigation confirmed that Israeli special forces fired on a fire truck and ambulances that had stopped on a road near their position. The first medical team was attacked, followed by additional ambulance crews who arrived to assist. The IDF report stated that the troops believed the vehicles were “advancing suspiciously” without proper signals. However, cellphone video later recovered from one of the medics showed the ambulances with flashing lights and visible humanitarian logos, contradicting the military’s initial claims.

After the shootings, the soldiers reportedly buried the bodies of the aid workers in a mass grave along with their crushed emergency vehicles. The IDF claimed the bodies were “shrouded” with cloth and sand to protect them until humanitarian organizations could retrieve them. However, access to the site was blocked for several days, raising concerns about a potential cover-up.

Disciplinary Measures Criticized as Inadequate

The disciplinary actions taken by the IDF have been met with sharp criticism from humanitarian groups and Palestinian officials. Younis Al-Khatib, chairman of the Palestinian Red Crescent, dismissed the measures as administrative and insufficient given the gravity of the incident.

“This looks like the management of a company taking administrative measures against its employees who made some kind of a mistake,” Al-Khatib told Reuters. “When you kill 15 medical staff and civil defence personnel, these can't be called 'measures'.”

Al-Khatib called for an independent international investigation, stating that the IDF’s internal probe did not reflect the seriousness of the attack. He emphasized that more than 400 Palestinian emergency and health workers have been killed since the start of the conflict, including 44 from the Red Crescent alone.

International Outrage and Calls for Accountability

The killings have sparked global outrage, with some international observers labeling the incident a potential war crime. The United Nations and various humanitarian agencies have rejected the IDF’s explanation that the killings were the result of “professional failures.” The UN’s humanitarian agency, the PRCS, and Gaza’s civil defense service have all called for a credible, independent investigation.

Breaking the Silence, an Israeli organization of former IDF soldiers, criticized the military’s report as “riddled with contradictions, vague phrasing and selective details.” The group questioned the credibility of the investigation and the sincerity of the disciplinary actions.

The Associated Press reported that Israel’s military advocate general is still reviewing the case and may pursue criminal charges. However, no external investigations are currently underway. Historically, the IDF has rarely conducted thorough investigations into incidents involving the deaths of humanitarian workers, despite having killed more than 150 emergency responders and over 1,000 health workers during the ongoing conflict, according to UN figures.

Disputed Claims of Hamas Involvement

In its report, the IDF claimed that six of the 15 aid workers killed were members of Hamas, though it did not provide evidence to support this assertion. No weapons or combatants were reportedly found in the mass grave. One humanitarian worker, Munther Abed, was detained and questioned over suspected Hamas links but was released the following day.

Gaza Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal alleged that several of the victims were found with their hands and feet bound and bullet wounds to the head and torso, suggesting they may have been executed at close range. These claims have not been independently verified.

A Pattern of Impunity?

The March 23 incident is not the first time Israeli forces have been accused of targeting humanitarian workers. In April 2024, seven members of the World Central Kitchen were killed in a sustained Israeli attack on their clearly marked vehicles. Humanitarian agencies argue that such incidents reflect a broader pattern of impunity and disregard for international humanitarian law.

Despite the IDF’s admission of fault in the latest case, critics argue that the disciplinary measures fall short of true accountability. The lack of external oversight and the military’s history of self-investigation have fueled skepticism about whether justice will be served.

References

• Palestinian Red Crescent says Israeli probe into Gaza aid workers' killings not enough
• Israel blames 'failures' for killing of medics
• Israeli report on killing of Palestinian medics in Gaza: What to know
• Humanitarian agencies reject IDF claim Gaza medic killings caused by ‘professional failures’
• Israeli probe finds 'professional failures' in killing of 15 Palestinian medics
• Israel blames 'failures' for killing of medics