Latest news with #YoavHar-Even
Nahar Net
21-04-2025
- Nahar Net
Israeli probe into killings of 15 Gaza medics finds 'professional failures'
by Naharnet Newsdesk 21 April 2025, 12:53 An Israeli investigation into the killings of 15 Palestinian medics last month in Gaza by Israeli forces said Sunday it found a chain of "professional failures" and a deputy commander has been fired. The shootings outraged many in the international community, with some calling the killings a war crime. Medical workers have special protection under international humanitarian law. The International Red Cross/Red Crescent called it the deadliest attack on its personnel in eight years. Israel at first claimed that the medics' vehicles did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire but later backtracked. Cellphone video recovered from one medic contradicted Israel's initial account. Footage shows the ambulances had lights flashing and logos visible as they pulled up to help another ambulance that earlier came under fire. The military investigation found that the deputy battalion commander acted under the incorrect assumption that all the ambulances belonged to Hamas militants. It said the deputy commander, operating under "poor night visibility," felt his troops were under threat when the ambulances sped toward their position and medics rushed out to check the victims. The military said the flashing lights were less visible on night-vision drones and goggles. The ambulances immediately came under a barrage of gunfire that went on for more than five minutes with brief pauses. Minutes later, soldiers opened fire at a U.N. car that stopped at the scene. Bodies were buried in a mass grave Eight Red Crescent personnel, six Civil Defense workers and a U.N. staffer were killed in the shooting before dawn on March 23 by troops conducting operations in Tel al-Sultan, a district of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Troops bulldozed over the bodies along with their mangled vehicles, burying them in a mass grave. U.N. and rescue workers were only able to reach the site a week later. The Israeli military said soldiers buried the bodies to prevent them from being mangled by stray dogs and coyotes until they could be collected, and that the ambulances were moved to allow the route to be used for civilian evacuations later that day. The investigation found that the decision to crush the ambulances was wrong but said there was no attempt to conceal the shootings. Mar. Gen. Yoav Har-Even, who oversees the military's investigations, said the military notified international organizations later that day and helped rescue workers locate the bodies. The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society has said the men were "targeted at close range." Night-vision drone footage provided by the military shows soldiers were 20 to 30 meters away from the ambulances. The deputy commander was the first to open fire, leading the rest of the soldiers to start shooting, Har-Even said. The investigation found the paramedics were killed due to an "operational misunderstanding" by Israeli forces, and that shooting at the U.N. car was a breach of orders. The findings asserted that six of those killed were Hamas militants — it did not give their names — and said three other paramedics were originally misidentified as Hamas. The Civil Defense is part of the Hamas-run government. No paramedic was armed and no weapons were found in any vehicle, Har-Even said. One survivor was detained for investigation and remains in custody for further questioning. According to the military, soldiers who questioned the survivor thought he identified himself as a Hamas member, which was later refuted. UN calls for accountability Har-Even said the deputy commander was fired for giving a not "completely accurate" report to investigators about the firing on a U.N. vehicle. The statement on the findings concluded by saying that Israel's military "regrets the harm caused to uninvolved civilians." "Without accountability, we risk continuing to watch atrocities unfolding, and the norms designed to protect us all, eroding. Too many civilians, including aid workers, have been killed in Gaza. Their stories have not all made the headlines," Jonathan Whittall, interim head in Gaza of the U.N. humanitarian office OCHA, said in a statement responding to the findings. There was no immediate public reaction from the Red Crescent or Civil Defense. The findings have been turned over the Military Advocate General, which can decide whether to file civil charges. It is meant to be an independent body, with oversight by Israel's attorney general and Supreme Court. There are no outside investigations of the killings underway. Israeli strikes have killed more than 150 emergency responders from the Red Crescent and Civil Defense, most of them while on duty, as well as over 1,000 health workers during the war, according to the U.N. The Israeli military rarely investigates such incidents. Israel has accused Hamas of moving and hiding its fighters inside ambulances and emergency vehicles, as well as in hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, arguing that justifies strikes on them. Medical personnel largely deny the accusations. Israel disputes ICC accusations of war crimes Palestinians and international human rights groups have repeatedly accused Israel's military of failing to properly investigate or whitewashing misconduct by its troops. Har-Even said the Israeli military is currently investigating 421 incidents in Gaza during the war, with 51 concluded and sent to the Military Advocate General. There was no immediate information on the number of investigations involving potential wrongful deaths or how many times the MAG has pursued criminal charges. The International Criminal Court, established by the international community as a court of last resort, has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes. Israel, which is not a member of the court, has long asserted that its legal system is capable of investigating the army, and Netanyahu has accused the ICC of antisemitism. The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas currently holds 59 hostages, 24 of them believed to be alive. Israel's offensive has since killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Frustration has been growing on both sides, with rare public protests against Hamas in Gaza and continued weekly rallies in Israel pressing the government to reach a deal to bring all hostages home.
Dubai Eye
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Dubai Eye
Israel's military finds 'professional failures' in killings of Gaza medics
The Israeli military on Sunday said a review into last month's killing of emergency responders in Gaza found there had been "several professional failures" and that a commander would be dismissed over the incident. The 15 paramedics and other rescue workers were shot dead on March 23 in three separate shootings at the same location near the southern Gaza city of Rafah. They were buried in a shallow grave where their bodies were found a week later by officials from the United Nations and the Palestinian Red Crescent. In a statement on Sunday, the military said a commanding officer is to be reprimanded. A deputy commander, a reservist who was the field commander, will be dismissed from his position for providing an incomplete and inaccurate report, it said. "The examination identified several professional failures, breaches of orders, and a failure to fully report the incident," the military said. "The fire in the first two incidents resulted from an operational misunderstanding by the troops, who believed they faced a tangible threat from enemy forces. The third incident involved a breach of orders during a combat setting," it said. The military advocate general was conducting its own investigation and criminal charges could be pursued, according to the military. A video recovered from the mobile phone of one of the dead men and published by the Palestinian Red Crescent showed uniformed emergency responders and clearly marked ambulances and fire trucks, with their lights on, being fired on by soldiers. Major General Yoav Har-Even, who conducted the review, told reporters that soldiers, from a special forces unit, had believed they were under threat after firing on what they initially determined as a Hamas vehicle but was in fact an ambulance. Two occupants were killed and a third was detained and questioned over suspected Hamas links. The man was released the next day after further questioning. The military says Hamas often conceals its activities amongst civilians and that there had been cases in the past where the group used ambulances to carry out operations. Still, it says soldiers are told to distinguish between genuine emergency vehicles and those used by Hamas. Military spokesman Effie Defrin told reporters the incident took place in a "complex combat zone" but was clearly a mistake by the soldiers and there had been no attempt to cover up the incident, which was reported immediately. In addition to the two killed in the first incident, Har-Even said 12 people were killed in the second shooting and another person was killed in the third incident. Red Crescent and UN officials have said 17 paramedics and emergency workers from the Red Crescent, the Civil Emergency service and the UN had been dispatched to respond to reports of injuries from Israeli air strikes. The military has said, without providing evidence, that six of the 15 emergency responders killed were later identified as "Hamas terrorists". Hamas has rejected the accusation.
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
IDF troops are accused of carrying out 'summary executions' of 15 Gaza aid workers as Israel sacks deputy commander over the incident
Israeli troops have been accused of carrying out 'summary executions' of 15 aid workers in Gaza last month. Eight Red Crescent personnel, six Civil Defense workers and a UN staffer were killed in the shooting before dawn on March 23 by troops operating in Tel al-Sultan, a district of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. An internal military investigation suggested a chain of 'professional failures' that led to the incident, with a deputy IDF commander sacked as a result. But Gaza's civil defence agency have rejected the findings of the army's internal probe following the release of a video showing the ambulances fired upon had their lights flashing and visible logos showing they were emergency vehicles. Israel had claimed that the medical vehicles did not have emergency signals on when IDF troops opened fire, but backtracked after video footage recovered from one medic contradicted this account. The 15 paramedics and rescue workers, which included at least one UN employee, were found in a mass grave in southern Gaza a week after the incident. 'The video filmed by one of the paramedics proves that the Israeli occupation's narrative is false and demonstrates that it carried out summary executions,' Mohammed Al-Mughair, a civil defence official, told AFP, a day after an Israeli army probe denied any execution-style killings. He also accused Israel of seeking to 'circumvent' its obligations under international law. The military investigation found that the deputy battalion commander, 'due to poor night visibility,' assessed that the ambulances belonged to Hamas militants. The probe claimed there was 'no evidence to support claims of execution or that any of the deceased were bound before or after the shooting.' It said the Palestinians were killed due to an 'operational misunderstanding' by Israeli forces, and that a separate incident 15 minutes later, when Israeli soldiers shot at a Palestinian UN vehicle, was a breach of orders. The deputy commander who will be dismissed was the first to open fire and the rest of the soldiers also started shooting, according to the internal findings. No paramedic was armed and no weapons were found in any vehicle, Major Gen Yoav Har-Even, who is in charge of the military's investigative branch, told journalists. The army also said six of the aid workers killed were actually Hamas militants, but did not provide their names or give further evidence. Last night the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the Israeli rights organisation Breaking the Silence rejected the findings. PRCS President Younis Al-Khatib said: 'It is incomprehensible why the occupation soldiers buried the bodies of the paramedics in a criminal manner. 'An independent and impartial investigation must be conducted by a UN body.' 'It is invalid and unacceptable, as it justifies the killing and shifts responsibility to a personal error in the field command when the truth is quite different,' Nebal Farsakh, a PRCS spokesperson, added. 'Not every lie has a video to expose it, but this report doesn't even attempt to engage with the truth,' a spokesperson from Breaking the Silence said. 'Another day, another cover-up. More innocent lives taken, with no accountability.' Jonathan Whittall, a UN official in Gaza, added: 'A lack of real accountability undermines international law and makes the world a more dangerous place. 'Without accountability, we risk continuing to watch atrocities unfolding, and the norms designed to protect us all, eroding.' Ahmed Dhair, the forensic pathologist in Gaza who carried out autopsies on 14 out of the 15 victims, said they were mostly killed by gunshots to the head and torso, as well as injuries caused by explosives. He told the Guardian that he had found 'lacerations, entry wounds from bullets, and wounds resulting from explosive injuries', adding: 'These were mostly concentrated in the torso area – the chest, abdomen, back, and head.' Some far-right voices in the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believe the army is going too far in punishing the soldiers. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's ultranationalist national security minister, said the decision to dismiss the deputy commander was a 'grave mistake' that must be reversed. 'Our combat soldiers, who are sacrificing their lives in Gaza, deserve our full support,' he said. The incident highlighted the dangers facing humanitarian workers operating in Gaza. More than 400 aid workers and over 1,300 health workers have reportedly been killed in Gaza since the latest war broke out in October 2023, despite the requirement under international humanitarian law for humanitarian workers to be protected. Last year, three former British servicemen were among the victims of an Israeli air strike which killed seven aid workers in Gaza. Former Royal Marines James Henderson and John Chapman and an ex-Army soldier James Kirby were killed in a drone strike while providing security for the World Central Kitchen charity. In February Healthcare Workers Watch (HWW), a Palestinian medical NGO, said it had confirmed that 162 medical staff remained in Israeli detention, including some of Gaza's most senior physicians, and a further 24 were missing after being taken from hospitals during the conflict. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Gaza was the deadliest place on Earth for humanitarian workers. 'Recent aid worker deaths are a stark reminder. Those responsible must be held accountable,' he said earlier this month. Israel has accused Hamas of moving and hiding its fighters inside ambulances and emergency vehicles, as well as in hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, arguing that justifies strikes on them. Medical personnel largely deny the accusations. The Israeli military is currently investigating 421 incidents in Gaza during the war, with 51 concluded and sent to the Military Advocate General. Israel's offensive has since killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The war has destroyed vast parts of Gaza and most of its food production capabilities.
The Herald Scotland
21-04-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Israel military finds 'professional failures' in Gaza medics killings
In a statement released on Sunday, the military said a commanding officer is to be reprimanded. A deputy commander, a reservist who was the field commander, will be dismissed from his position for providing an incomplete and inaccurate report, it said. "The examination identified several professional failures, breaches of orders, and a failure to fully report the incident," the military said. "The fire in the first two incidents resulted from an operational misunderstanding by the troops, who believed they faced a tangible threat from enemy forces. The third incident involved a breach of orders during a combat setting," it said. The military advocate general was conducting its own investigation and criminal charges could be pursued, according to the military. A video recovered from the mobile phone of one of the dead men and published by the Palestinian Red Crescent showed uniformed emergency responders and clearly marked ambulances and fire trucks, with their lights on, being fired on by soldiers. Major General Yoav Har-Even, who conducted the review, told reporters that soldiers had believed they were under threat after firing on what they initially determined as a Hamas vehicle but was in fact an ambulance. Two occupants were killed and a third was detained and questioned over suspected Hamas links. The man was released the next day after further questioning. The military says Hamas often conceals its activities amongst civilians and that there had been cases in the past where the militant group used ambulances to carry out operations. Still, it says soldiers are told to distinguish between genuine emergency vehicles and those used by Hamas. "Yes, we do make mistakes," military spokesman Effie Defrin told reporters, adding the incident took place in a "complex combat zone." Har-Even said that 12 people were killed in the second shooting and another person was killed in the third incident. Injuries Red Crescent and U.N. officials have said 17 paramedics and emergency workers from the Red Crescent, the Civil Emergency service and the U.N. had been dispatched to respond to reports of injuries from Israeli air strikes. The military said in the statement that in the second shooting the deputy commander did not initially recognise the vehicles as ambulances due to what they said was "poor night visibility" and ordered troops to open fire on a group of individuals who emerged from a fire truck and ambulances. Paramedic Munther Abed, a responder who was detained by the military and later released, has said soldiers opened fire on clearly marked emergency response vehicles. The Red Cross said on April 13 another Palestinian emergency responder was being held by Israeli authorities. The military said on Sunday that he is still in Israeli custody. The military has said, without providing evidence, that six of the 15 emergency responders killed were later identified as "Hamas terrorists". Hamas has rejected the accusation. About 15 minutes after the soldiers opened fire on the group of emergency responders, the military said that soldiers fired at a Palestinian UN vehicle. The military blamed "operational errors in breach of regulation" for the incident. "At dawn, it was decided to gather and cover the bodies to prevent further harm and clear the vehicles from the route in preparation for civilian evacuation," the military said, adding that removing the bodies was reasonable "under the circumstances" but that crushing the vehicles was "wrong". "In general, there was no attempt to conceal the event, which was discussed with international organizations and the UN, including coordination for the removal of bodies," it said. (Reporting by Alexander Cornwell and James Mackenzie; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Giles Elgood and Clelia Oziel)
Korea Herald
21-04-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
Israeli probe into the killings of 15 Palestinian medics in Gaza finds 'professional failures'
JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli investigation into the killings of 15 Palestinian medics last month in Gaza by Israeli forces said Sunday it found a chain of 'professional failures' and a deputy commander has been fired. The shootings outraged many in the international community, with some calling the killings a war crime. Medical workers have special protection under international humanitarian law. The International Red Cross/Red Crescent called it the deadliest attack on its personnel in eight years. Israel at first claimed that the medics' vehicles did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire but later backtracked. Cellphone video recovered from one medic contradicted Israel's initial account. Footage shows the ambulances had lights flashing and logos visible as they pulled up to help another ambulance that earlier came under fire. The military investigation found that the deputy battalion commander acted under the incorrect assumption that all the ambulances belonged to Hamas militants. It said the deputy commander, operating under 'poor night visibility,' felt his troops were under threat when the ambulances sped toward their position and medics rushed out to check the victims. The military said the flashing lights were less visible on night-vision drones and goggles. The ambulances immediately came under a barrage of gunfire that went on for more than five minutes with brief pauses. Minutes later, soldiers opened fire at a UN car that stopped at the scene. Eight Red Crescent personnel, six Civil Defense workers and a United Nations staffer were killed in the shooting before dawn on March 23 by troops conducting operations in Tel al-Sultan, a district of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Troops bulldozed over the bodies along with their mangled vehicles, burying them in a mass grave. UN and rescue workers were only able to reach the site a week later. The Israeli military said soldiers buried the bodies to prevent them from being mangled by stray dogs and coyotes until they could be collected, and that the ambulances were moved to allow the route to be used for civilian evacuations later that day. The investigation found that the decision to crush the ambulances was wrong but said there was no attempt to conceal the shootings. Mar. Gen. Yoav Har-Even, who oversees the military's investigations, said the military notified international organizations later that day and helped rescue workers locate the bodies. The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society has said the men were 'targeted at close range." Night-vision drone footage provided by the military shows soldiers were 20 to 30 meters away from the ambulances. The deputy commander was the first to open fire, leading the rest of the soldiers to start shooting, Har-Even said. The investigation found the paramedics were killed due to an 'operational misunderstanding' by Israeli forces, and that shooting at the UN car was a breach of orders. The findings asserted that six of those killed were Hamas militants — it did not give their names — and said three other paramedics were originally misidentified as Hamas. The Civil Defense is part of the Hamas-run government. No paramedic was armed and no weapons were found in any vehicle, Har-Even said. One survivor was detained for investigation and remains in custody for further questioning. According to the military, soldiers who questioned the survivor thought he identified himself as a Hamas member, which was later refuted. Har-Even said the deputy commander was fired for giving a not 'completely accurate' report to investigators about the firing on a UN vehicle. The statement on the findings concluded by saying that Israel's military 'regrets the harm caused to uninvolved civilians.' 'Without accountability, we risk continuing to watch atrocities unfolding, and the norms designed to protect us all, eroding. Too many civilians, including aid workers, have been killed in Gaza. Their stories have not all made the headlines,' Jonathan Whittall, interim head in Gaza of the UN humanitarian office OCHA, said in a statement responding to the findings. There was no immediate public reaction from the Red Crescent or Civil Defense. The findings have been turned over the Military Advocate General, which can decide whether to file civil charges. It is meant to be an independent body, with oversight by Israel's attorney general and Supreme Court. There are no outside investigations of the killings underway. Israeli strikes have killed more than 150 emergency responders from the Red Crescent and Civil Defense, most of them while on duty, as well as over 1,000 health workers during the war, according to the UN. The Israeli military rarely investigates such incidents. Israel has accused Hamas of moving and hiding its fighters inside ambulances and emergency vehicles, as well as in hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, arguing that justifies strikes on them. Medical personnel largely deny the accusations. Palestinians and international human rights groups have repeatedly accused Israel's military of failing to properly investigate or whitewashing misconduct by its troops. Har-Even said the Israeli military is currently investigating 421 incidents in Gaza during the war, with 51 concluded and sent to the Military Advocate General. There was no immediate information on the number of investigations involving potential wrongful deaths or how many times the MAG has pursued criminal charges. The International Criminal Court, established by the international community as a court of last resort, has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes. Israel, which is not a member of the court, has long asserted that its legal system is capable of investigating the army, and Netanyahu has accused the ICC of antisemitism. The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas currently holds 59 hostages, 24 of them believed to be alive. Israel's offensive has since killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Frustration has been growing on both sides, with rare public protests against Hamas in Gaza and continued weekly rallies in Israel pressing the government to reach a deal to bring all hostages home.
