Phone Footage Appears To Contradict Israel's Account In Troops' Killing Of 15 Palestinian Medics | rssama.com

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Phone video from 1 of 15 Palestinian medics killed by Israeli forces past month appears to contradict Israeli claims that nan medics’ vehicles did not person emergency signals connected erstwhile troops opened occurrence connected them successful confederate Gaza.

The footage shows nan Red Crescent and Civil Defense teams driving slow pinch their emergency vehicles’ lights flashing, logos visible, arsenic they pulled up to thief an ambulance that had travel nether occurrence earlier. The teams do not look to beryllium acting unusually aliases successful a threatening mode arsenic 3 medics look and caput toward nan stricken ambulance.

Their vehicles instantly travel nether a barrage of gunfire, which goes connected for much than 5 minutes pinch little pauses. The proprietor of nan telephone tin beryllium heard praying.

“Forgive me, mother. This is nan way I chose, mother, to thief people,” he cries, his sound weak.

Eight Red Crescent personnel, six Civil Defense workers and a U.N. staffer were killed successful nan shooting earlier dawn connected March 23 by Israeli troops conducting operations successful Tel al-Sultan, a territory of nan confederate Gaza metropolis of Rafah. Troops past bulldozed complete nan bodies on pinch their mangled vehicles, burying them successful a wide grave. U.N. and rescue workers were only capable to scope nan tract a week later to excavation retired nan bodies.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society’s vice president, Marwan Jilani, said nan telephone pinch nan footage was recovered successful nan pouch of 1 of its slain staffers. The Palestinian ambassador to nan United Nations distributed nan video to nan U.N. Security Council. The Associated Press obtained nan video from a U.N. diplomat connected information of anonymity because it has not been made public.

One paramedic who survived, Munzer Abed, confirmed nan veracity of nan video to nan AP. Two block-shaped actual structures visible successful nan video are besides seen successful a U.N. video released Sunday showing nan betterment of nan bodies from nan tract — a motion they are successful nan aforesaid location.

Asked astir nan video, nan Israeli subject said Saturday that nan incident was “under thorough examination.”

One medic remains missing

The Israeli subject earlier said it opened occurrence connected nan vehicles because they were “advancing suspiciously” connected adjacent troops without headlights aliases emergency signals.

The first relationship of nan vehicles not having emergency lights connected was mistaken, an Israeli subject charismatic told journalists Saturday evening. The charismatic said connected information of anonymity successful statement pinch regulations.

The caput of nan Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Younes Al-Khatib, called for an independent investigation. “We don’t spot immoderate of nan service investigations,” he told a briefing astatine nan U.N. connected Friday.

One medic, Assaad al-Nassasra, is still missing, nan Red Crescent says. Abed said he saw al-Nassasra being led distant blindfolded by Israeli troops. Al-Khatib said nan statement has asked nan subject wherever it is holding nan staffer.

Al-Khatib said nan slain men had been “targeted astatine adjacent range” and that a forensic autopsy study would beryllium released soon.

Israel has accused Hamas of moving and hiding its fighters wrong ambulances and emergency vehicles, arsenic good arsenic successful hospitals and different civilian infrastructure, arguing that justifies strikes connected them. Medical unit mostly contradict nan accusations.

Israeli strikes person killed much than 150 emergency responders from nan Red Crescent and Civil Defense, astir of them while connected duty, arsenic good arsenic complete 1,000 wellness workers, according to nan U.N. The Israeli subject seldom investigates specified incidents.

Ambulances nether a barrage of Israeli fire

Ambulances started heading to Tel al-Sultan astatine astir 3:50 a.m. connected March 23, responding to reports of wounded, Jilani said. The first ambulance returned safely pinch astatine slightest 1 casualty, he said. But, he said, consequent ambulances came nether fire.

His hands trembling, Abed told nan AP connected Saturday that arsenic his ambulance entered nan area, its siren lights were on. “All of a sudden, I americium telling you, location was nonstop shooting astatine us,” truthful aggravated that nan conveyance crushed to a stop, he said.

A 10-year seasoned of nan Red Crescent, Abed said he was sitting successful nan backmost spot and ducked to nan floor. He said he could perceive thing from his 2 colleagues successful nan beforehand spot — nan only others successful nan vehicle. They look to person been killed instantly.

Israeli troops, immoderate pinch nighttime goggles, dragged Abed retired of nan ambulance and onto nan ground, he said. They made him portion to his underwear, hit him each complete his assemblage pinch their firearm butts, past tied his hands down his back, he said.

They interrogated him, asking him astir his paramedic training and really galore group were successful nan ambulance pinch him, he said. One worker pressed nan muzzle of his automatic firearm into his neck. Another pressed his weapon leaf into Abed’s palm, almost cutting it, until a 3rd worker pulled them distant and warned Abed, “They’re crazy.”

Abed said he witnessed them opening occurrence connected nan adjacent vehicles to arrive. Soldiers forced him onto his tummy and pressed a weapon into his back, he said, and amid nan shooting successful nan darkness, truthful he could only spot 2 Civil Defense vehicles.

Video shows medic’s terror

The telephone video shows a rescue convoy of Red Crescent and Civil Defense vehicles that was sent retired aft interaction was mislaid pinch nan stricken ambulance. Taken from nan dashboard of 1 vehicle, it shows respective ambulances and a occurrence motortruck moving down a roadworthy done a barren area successful nan darkness. The emergency lights connected their roofs are flashing nan full way.

They get astatine an ambulance connected nan broadside of nan roadworthy and extremity adjacent to it, their lights still flashing. No Israeli troops are visible.

“Lord, fto them beryllium OK,” a man successful nan car says. Then he cries out, “They’re tossed astir connected nan ground!” — apparently referring to bodies. Three men successful orangish Civil Defense clothing tin beryllium seen getting retired of nan vehicles and stepping toward nan stopped ambulance.

A changeable rings retired and 1 of nan men appears to fall. Gunfire erupts.

The man holding nan telephone appears to scramble retired of nan car and onto nan ground, but nan surface goes black, though nan audio continues. The gunfire goes connected for astir 5 and a half minutes, pinch long, dense barrages followed by silences punctuated by individual shots and shouts and screams.

Throughout, nan man pinch nan telephone says complete and over, “There is nary God but God and Muhammad is God’s prophet” — nan occupation of religion that Muslims opportunity erstwhile they fearfulness they are astir to die. Near nan extremity of nan six-minute, 40-second video, voices tin beryllium heard shouting successful Hebrew. “The Jews are coming,” nan man said, referring to Israeli soldiers, earlier nan video cuts off.

The Israeli subject charismatic asserted location was “no mistreatment,” and said he didn’t cognize why nan vehicles had been buried. He had nary accusation astir nan medic who remained missing.

Israel claims they recovered militants afterward

The Israeli subject says that aft nan shooting, troops wished they had killed a Hamas fig named Mohammed Amin Shobaki and 8 different militants. However, nary of nan 15 slain medics has that name, and nary different bodies are known to person been recovered astatine nan site.

The subject has not said what happened to Shobaki’s assemblage aliases released nan names of nan different alleged militants. The Israeli subject charismatic said Israel was “working to bring evidence” that Hamas operatives were killed.

Jonathan Whittall, interim caput successful Gaza of nan U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA, dismissed allegations that nan slain medics were Hamas militants, saying unit had worked pinch nan aforesaid medics antecedently successful evacuating patients from hospitals and different tasks.

“These are paramedic crews that I personally person met before,” he said. “They were buried successful their uniforms pinch their gloves on. They were fresh to prevention lives.”

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Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip; Keath from Cairo. Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri astatine nan United Nations, Sarah El Deeb successful Cairo, Natalie Melzer successful Tel Aviv, Israel, and Areej Hazboun contributed to this report.

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