Israeli probe into medic killings can't be trusted, Palestine Red Crescent says
The Palestine Red Crescent Society president Younis Al-Khatib has called for an independent investigation into the deaths of 15 workers. (ABC News: Haidarr Jones)
In short:
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society says an Israeli military investigation into the killing of 15 paramedics and emergency workers in southern Gaza last month cannot be trusted, as it releases more video of the attack.
The PRCS president said an initial autopsy of some of the men showed Israeli forces had shot them "with the intent to kill", but he was not yet prepared to conclude the men had been executed.
What’s next?
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has launched an investigation into the incident, which will be run from the military’s general staff command – but has provided no public timeframe for the probe.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) says an internal Israeli military investigation into the killing of 15 paramedics and emergency workers in southern Gaza last month cannot be trusted, demanding an independent inquiry instead.
The PRCS has released an extended version of the video recorded by one of the slain medics in the moments before Israeli forces opened fire on the convoy near Tel al-Sultan on March 23.
Speaking from the organisation's headquarters in Ramallah, the PRCS president Younis Al-Khatib said the vision was impossible for the international community to ignore, adding that it should pressure the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to launch a totally independent probe into the attack.
The bodies of the eight paramedics, six emergency responders and one UN worker were recovered from a shallow mass grave a week later, buried alongside the wreckages of their vehicles.
"To be frank and straightforward — yes, we don't trust [the IDF investigation]," he said in response to a question from the ABC.
"Not just because we don't trust an inquiry by the army, but because there is an experience with the army … and also the contradictory statements by the army."
Loading...Dr Al-Khatib was asked what word he would use to describe what had happened to his medics, after allegations the men were executed by the IDF were aired in international media.
"For the time being, I would use the word 'killed' or 'shot them'," Dr Al-Khatib told reporters at the PRCS headquarters in Ramallah.
"When there is an inquiry, I think there will be a different word used.
"Even in this video, there is proof that they were caught alive.
"When they were under Israeli control of the soldiers, that's proof that they were alive, they are not anymore … something happened between controlling the paramedics and their death."
More video of the moments leading up to the killing of the medics
Over the weekend, shocking vision of the moment IDF forces opened fire on the convoy was released by the PRCS.
It directly contradicted Israel's initial account of the incident, where it had claimed the PRCS ambulances and fire trucks from Gaza's civil defence force had approached troops in a "suspicious" manner with no emergency lights.
A paramedic who filmed as Israeli soldiers shot the clearly identifiable aid workers was also killed. (ABC News: Haidarr Jones)
The vision showed the vehicles were clearly marked with their lights switched on, and the staff were wearing official uniforms.
The PRCS has now released an extended version of that video, recorded by medic Rifat Radwan, in an effort to explain the sequence of events leading to the attack.
"I'm suffocating, we're calling their phones and no-one is answering," Mr Radwan can be heard saying.
"This was a direct targeting, I swear."
The Palestine Red Crescent Society is an aid organisation working in Gaza. (ABC News: Haidarr Jones)
At one stage, one of Mr Radwan's colleagues told him not to film their journey on his phone.
"These moments need to be documented," he replied, in an inadvertent and foreboding prediction of what was to come.
Two PRCS ambulances were dispatched to the scene of an Israeli strike in the early hours of Sunday March 23, but only one arrived.
After being unable to make contact with one of the crews, another two ambulances were sent out to try to find the missing team — and travelled to the site with vehicles from the civil defence service.
PRCS said shooting continued for hours
The ambulance Mr Radwan was in initially drove past the missing vehicle, which had come off the road and was difficult to see in the pre-dawn light.
After meeting up with another crew further down the road, which had been waiting for the convoy out of fear of safety for travelling alone, the vehicles doubled back to the site.
Once they arrived at the scene, the crews rushed to the vehicle — which is when the shooting began.
For the remaining seven minutes of the recording, the gunfire is relentless.
Another ambulance was close behind, and was also hit.
Israeli forces can be heard on the recording yelling in Hebrew, while Mr Radwan prays for his life and apologises to his mother.
"Mum, forgive me, mum, forgive me," he can be heard saying.
"This is the path I chose, to help people."
PRCS staff have told the ABC that their own communications with the team via an open radio channel suggested shooting continued for almost two hours.
The United Nations vehicle, carrying the UN staffer who was also killed, was not in the initial convoy and was seemingly hit after moving through the area in the following hours.
The incident has prompted the Palestine Red Crescent Society to publicly question the internal Israeli investigation into the shooting. (ABC News: Haidarr Jones)
One medic is still missing
The bodies of the 15 men were recovered a week later, buried under sand alongside the wreckages of their vehicles.
The ambulances and fire trucks had been crushed.
The United Nations and PRCS have criticised Israel for refusing access to the site, claiming it was an active combat zone.
Israel said it was coordinating with the organisations to arrange the recovery mission.
One medic was taken into custody by the IDF, and has since been released — alleging he was severely beaten while held by Israeli forces.
Another medic is still missing.
The operation to retrieve the remains of 15 Palestinian medics took a week, according to OCHA. (Supplied: United Nations/OCHA)
The ABC asked the IDF a series of questions after the extended video was released, including whether the missing medic was in its custody and how it responded to concerns about the independence of its investigation.
No response was provided.
In a general statement about the investigation, the IDF said a "preliminary inquiry" had been completed — adding that the military's chief asked for a more in-depth probe to begin.
"The IDF is conducting an inquiry into the incident, which took place in a combat zone, to uncover the truth," it said.
"The preliminary inquiry indicated that the troops opened fire due to a perceived threat following a previous encounter in the area, and that six of the individuals killed in the incident were identified as Hamas terrorists.
"All the claims raised regarding the incident will be examined through the mechanism and presented in a detailed and thorough manner for a decision on how to handle the event."