Haaretz: Can Justice Be Expected from Israel’s Army Built on Killing and Distorting Facts?
New autopsy results and eyewitness accounts suggest intentional killings, raising questions about Israel's responsibility and accountability in war crimes.
Watan-The suspicions that emerged immediately after the killing of 15 civil defense workers in Rafah on March 23, suggesting it was a war crime, are being documented. Autopsy results on 14 of the victims reveal a clear pattern of intentional killing, strengthening suspicions of executions, evidence tampering, and the concealment of one of the perpetrators.
According to the autopsies conducted by the head of the Forensic Pathology Unit in Gaza, 11 of the civil defense workers were killed by gunfire, including four who were shot in the head, and six in the back or chest. Most were shot multiple times. Three other victims were likely killed by shrapnel, with an explosion being the probable cause of their injuries. Some of the bodies showed signs that they had been bound or tied, and testimonies indicated that the civil defense workers were shot after being taken out of their vehicles. All this strengthens the suspicion that the paramedics were executed in the field.
The Israeli army’s initial claim that the vehicles were moving without coordination and without emergency lights was disproved by a video recorded by one of the slain paramedics. The body of the paramedic who recorded the video was later found, and he had been shot in the head.
Israel’s Indifference and the Call for Accountability Amid War Crimes Allegations
Despite all this, Israel did not hear the cry. None of these harsh findings managed to awaken Israelis. The assumption that there are no innocent people in Gaza has become a protective wall against accountability. This is a very dangerous situation: the indifference of the Israeli public creates fertile ground for war crimes, including the killing of civil defense workers and innocent people, including children and infants.
Recent reports have revealed that an additional paramedic, As’ad al-Nassasra, who was part of the convoy that came under attack, was seen alive and detained by soldiers but has since disappeared. The Red Crescent announced that the International Committee of the Red Cross reported he was detained by Israel, but the Israeli army spokesperson did not respond to Haaretz’s questions on this matter. The disappearance of a person who was seen alive in detention, coupled with Israel’s refusal to address it, should not go unnoticed.
An Israeli army investigation is not a guarantee of uncovering the truth; it will obscure it. Dozens of investigations opened by the Israeli army since the beginning of the war have not led to any indictments. Testimonies of shooting in the head and back, binding, mass graves, and evidence tampering—these are not operational mistakes.
There must be an independent, impartial external investigation to examine whether a war crime was committed. If Israel refuses to investigate, an international investigation must be allowed. Until the investigation is conducted and the circumstances surrounding the killings are clarified, Israel must disclose the whereabouts of al-Nassasra. If he is in Israeli custody, he must be released immediately.
