Israeli Forces Attempt to Justify Rafah Massacre: Denying Field Executions of Relief Teams

Watan-The Israeli occupation forces attempted to evade responsibility for one of their most horrific crimes in Gaza, claiming on Sunday that they did not carry out field executions of rescue and relief teams in the city of Rafah on March 23, 2025.

This came after the Israeli army published what it claimed was a “thorough investigation” by its investigative mechanism under the General Staff, according to a statement by the army, which has been carrying out a genocidal war on Palestinians in Gaza.

During the Rafah massacre, Israeli forces killed 15 members of the ambulance and civil defense teams in the Tel Sultan neighborhood in southern Gaza, who are protected under international law. The victims were buried in a mass grave, and their vehicles were concealed.

Israeli Army Denies Executions in Rafah, Claims Incident Occurred in Combat Zone

This crime sparked outrage worldwide, with calls for the prosecution of Israeli leaders and military personnel responsible for the genocide of Palestinians, particularly the execution of rescue and relief personnel.

In an attempt to exonerate its soldiers, the Israeli army stated: “The investigation results indicate that the incident occurred in a hostile and dangerous combat zone, with a threat to the area surrounding the forces operating in the field.”

It further claimed that the investigation found no evidence of “tied victims before or after being shot or of field executions.” It also insisted that the accusations of committing such atrocities were “mere rumors, slander, and outrageous lies.”

The army stated: “On the night of the incident, March 23, 2025, the force set up an ambush with the aim of targeting what they called ‘saboteurs.'”

They continued: “About an hour later, the force opened fire on suspects who emerged from a fire truck and ambulances very close to the force’s ambush position.”

Israeli Army Justifies Massacre of Relief Teams, Claims Limited Visibility Led to Mistaken Shooting

Justifying the massacre of the relief teams, the army added: “The force observed five vehicles moving rapidly toward the ambush and stopping beside it, from which people quickly disembarked.”

The army further explained: “The force commander believed that these were Hamas vehicles sent to help the occupants of the first vehicle, and feeling a real threat, decided to open fire.”

It claimed that the commander “did not initially recognize the vehicles as ambulances due to limited visibility at night, and it was not until later during subsequent sweeps that the vehicles’ identity as ambulances became clear.”

The Israeli army acknowledged that “a total of 15 Palestinians were killed in these events,” claiming that “six of them were identified as Hamas saboteurs.”

In response to similar Israeli claims in the past, Hamas reaffirmed that there were no Hamas fighters among the victims, emphasizing that these were Israeli lies attempting to justify the massacre.

The army further explained: “At dawn, it was decided to collect the bodies and cover them to prevent tampering, and the vehicles were to be removed from the road in preparation for later evacuating civilians from the area.”

The army added: “The bodies were transported, and the decision to remove the vehicles and crush them was made. The investigation concluded that the decision to transport the bodies was reasonable, while the decision to crush the vehicles was wrong.”

The alleged investigation revealed “several professional mistakes and violations during the incident, as well as negligence in not fully reporting the incident.”

Israeli Army Faces Scrutiny Over Rafah Massacre, No Prosecutions for Soldiers

The Israeli army stated that Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi approved the recommendation of the Southern Command to issue a “leadership note” to the commander of the 14th Division, “which will be recorded in his personal file due to his overall responsibility for the incident.”

It also announced that the deputy commander of the Golani Brigade’s special unit would finish his duties “due to his responsibility as the force commander in the field and the incomplete and inaccurate report in the investigation.”

Earlier, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz questioned the integrity of the General Staff’s investigative mechanism, saying that since the beginning of the war on October 7, 2023, dozens of cases had been referred to this mechanism, but no Israeli soldiers had been prosecuted for the incidents.

The Rafah massacre occurred on March 23, when a team consisting of 9 paramedics, 5 civil defense members, and one employee from an international agency responded to distress calls from civilians trapped in the Tel Sultan neighborhood.

On March 27 and 30, the Gaza authorities announced the discovery of the bodies of 15 rescue and firefighting team members buried about 200 meters from the location where their vehicles had stopped.

The only survivor of the massacre, volunteer paramedic Munther Abed, recalled on April 7, 2025: “We received a call about injuries in the Hashashin area, and we moved with Red Crescent ambulances, with lights on inside and outside.”

He added: “As soon as we arrived, we came under heavy and direct gunfire, so I had to lie down in the back of the ambulance, and I heard my colleagues’ last gasps.”

He continued that an Israeli special force opened the ambulance door, speaking in Hebrew, and forced his head to the ground so he couldn’t see his colleagues or know their fate.

Abed said: “They beat me with the rifle butts and tortured me, asking for my name and address. I wished for death from the severity of the torture.”

He confirmed that the Israeli occupation forces used military bulldozers to dig several holes where they buried the ambulances and civil defense vehicles after shooting those inside.

Abed stressed that the area was not a military zone but a civilian area, and what the Israeli army did was a crime against humanity, which they tried to cover up by burying the team and their vehicles.

U.S.-Backed Israel Faces International Scrutiny for Genocidal Crimes in Gaza

With U.S. backing, Israel has been committing genocidal crimes in Gaza since October 7, 2023, resulting in over 168,000 martyrs and wounded Palestinians, the majority of whom are children and women, along with over 11,000 missing persons.

On November 21, 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant on charges of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza.

The International Court of Justice also issued two sets of interim measures requested by South Africa on March 28 and January 26, 2024, in a case accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Among these measures is the requirement to provide essential services and humanitarian aid without obstacles, as well as medical supplies and care for Palestinians across Gaza.

However, Israel continues to ignore these measures by closing all Gaza crossings, plunging the Strip into a state of famine due to the prevention of humanitarian aid and life-saving medical supplies.

On July 29, 2024, the Court issued an advisory opinion affirming that Israel’s continued presence on occupied Palestinian land is “illegal” and that international organizations, including the United States, are obligated not to recognize the situation arising from this illegal presence.