Importance Score: 85 / 100 🟢
Gaza Paramedic Recounts Attack that Killed Colleagues
Rafah, Gaza Strip – A paramedic in Gaza has given a harrowing account of an Israeli attack that resulted in the deaths of fifteen emergency responders. Munther Abed, the sole survivor who witnessed the incident firsthand, recounted the events leading up to the strike that claimed the lives of his fellow paramedics and rescue personnel. The deadly incident has sparked international concern and calls for a thorough investigation into the events of March 23.
Survivor’s Testimony
“I am the only survivor who saw what happened to my colleagues,” Munther Abed stated, displaying photographs of his fallen comrades on his mobile phone. He detailed how he narrowly escaped death by taking cover on the floor of his ambulance as gunfire erupted, fatally wounding his two colleagues in the front cabin. The attack occurred in the early hours of March 23, targeting a convoy of emergency vehicles responding to reports of casualties near Rafah.
Response Team Deployment
Abed explained the sequence of events, stating, “We departed from headquarters around dawn.” He described how a coordinated response team, comprising members of the Palestinian Red Crescent, Gaza’s Civil Defence, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), convened on the outskirts of Rafah after receiving distress calls about gunfire and injured individuals.
Timeline of Events
According to Abed’s account, “Approximately at 04:30, all Civil Defence vehicles were positioned. At 04:40, the initial two vehicles proceeded. By 04:50, the last vehicle had arrived. At approximately 05:00, the agency [UN] vehicle was directly fired upon in the street.”
Israeli Military’s Version of Events
The Israeli military asserts that its forces initiated fire because the vehicles were moving suspiciously towards soldiers without prior coordination and without utilizing headlights. Furthermore, the military claimed that nine operatives from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad were killed in the engagement.
Conflicting Accounts and Eyewitness Challenge
Munther Abed disputes the Israeli military’s version of events.
Lights Were Operational
“Whether during daylight or nighttime, the protocol is consistent. External and internal lights are always activated. Every indicator clearly identifies it as an ambulance belonging to the Palestinian Red Crescent. All lights remained illuminated until the vehicle was subjected to direct gunfire,” he emphasized.
Detention and Interrogation
Following the attack, Abed recounted being extracted from the wreckage by Israeli soldiers, subsequently arrested, and blindfolded. He alleges that he underwent interrogation for over 15 hours before his release.
Request for IDF Response
The BBC has reportedly submitted Abed’s claims to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment; however, a response has yet to be issued.
Israeli Foreign Minister’s Statement
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, addressed the incident at a press conference, echoing the IDF’s statements. “The IDF did not randomly attack an ambulance,” he stated.
Claims of Uncoordinated Vehicles and Terrorist Operatives
Saar elaborated, “Several uncoordinated vehicles were identified advancing suspiciously toward IDF troops without headlights or emergency signals. IDF troops then opened fire at the suspected vehicles.” He further stated, “Following an initial assessment, it was determined that the forces had eliminated a Hamas military terrorist, Mohammed Amin Ibrahim Shubaki, who participated in the October 7 attacks, along with eight additional terrorists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad.”
Discrepancies in Casualty Identification
Notably, Mohammed Amin Ibrahim Shubaki’s name is absent from the list of the fifteen deceased emergency workers. Among the victims were eight Palestinian Red Crescent medics, six Civil Defence first responders, and one UNRWA staff member.
Lack of Evidence and Accountability
Israel has not provided information regarding the whereabouts of Shubaki’s body nor presented substantiating evidence to support the claim that the emergency workers posed an immediate threat.
Rejection of Hamas Affiliation Claims
Munther Abed refutes Israel’s insinuation that Hamas might have utilized ambulances for cover. “That is completely false. All crews are civilians,” he asserted.
Civilian Status of Emergency Workers
“We are not affiliated with any militant factions. Our primary responsibility is to provide ambulance services and save lives – nothing more, nothing less,” Abed affirmed.
Grief and Calls for Accountability
In the aftermath of the tragedy, paramedics in Gaza mourned and buried their colleagues. The funerals were met with widespread grief and intensified demands for accountability. A bereaved parent conveyed to the BBC that his son was murdered “in cold blood.”
Retrieval of Bodies and Mass Grave Discovery
International organizations were granted access to the area to recover the bodies of the deceased a week after the attack. The bodies were discovered buried in shallow graves in a sand embankment alongside the destroyed ambulances, a fire truck, and a UN vehicle.
UNRWA Official on Potential Law Infringement
Sam Rose, acting director of UNRWA’s Gaza office, commented, “What we know is that fifteen individuals perished, and their bodies were placed in shallow graves in a sand berm along the roadside, treated with utter disrespect and in what appears to be a breach of international humanitarian law.”
Demand for Full Investigation
Rose emphasized, “Only through an inquiry, a comprehensive and thorough investigation, will we be able to ascertain the complete truth behind this incident.”
Lack of Commitment to Investigation and Heightened Insecurity
To date, Israel has not pledged to conduct an investigation into the attack. The UN reports that at least 1,060 healthcare professionals have been killed since the commencement of the conflict.
Increased Fragility for Humanitarian Workers
“Certainly, all ambulance personnel, all medical staff, all humanitarian aid workers within Gaza currently experience heightened insecurity and increased vulnerability,” Mr. Rose conveyed.
One Paramedic Still Missing
One paramedic remains unaccounted for following the incident of March 23.
Personal Loss and Call for Justice
“They were not merely colleagues, but friends,” Munther stated, while nervously manipulating prayer beads in his hands. “We shared meals, drinks, laughter, and jokes… They were like my extended family.”
Pledge to Expose Crimes
“I will expose the offenses perpetrated by the occupation [Israel] against my colleagues. If I, as the sole survivor, did not come forward, who would inform the world of their actions against our colleagues, and who would share their story?” Abed declared.