A video released by The New York Times on Saturday has exposed inconsistencies in the Israeli army's justification for a March 23 airstrike in southern Gaza that killed 15 Palestinian paramedics and aid workers. Following international condemnation, the Israeli military had claimed that the ambulances were approaching "suspiciously" without headlights or emergency indicators and that the strike targeted "armed militants" from Hamas and Islamic Jihad. However, the footage, filmed by one of the medics killed in the strike, shows the vehicles clearly marked with medical insignia and driving with their emergency lights activated. The video was recovered from among the bodies buried in a mass grave and contradicts the Israeli narrative. The Israeli army has not responded to the newly published footage. The Palestine Red Crescent Society confirmed that 14 bodies were initially recovered from the scene, including eight of its own staff, five Civil Defense workers, and a UN agency staffer. Days later, the Palestinian Civil Defense said the final death toll had risen to 15 after locating another team member's remains. The attack is one of the deadliest incidents involving emergency responders since Israel launched its military offensive on Gaza in October 2023. Over 50,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in the conflict to date. — Agencies
