It’s a fact that Israel is at war with Hamas in Gaza. And in every war, it’s also a sorry fact that mistakes are made, and innocent people are killed
The IDF’s zigzag on its version of what happened last month, when more than a dozen alleged Gazan medics were killed, reinforces the dramatic tragedy that is war, but it also highlights the need for transparency.
On March 23, at 4:30 a.m., as part of the IDF’s larger renewed offensives in the Gaza Strip, Golani troops set an ambush for Hamas forces near Tel Sultan in Rafah, which it said was successful.
Between then and 6 a.m., additional vehicles passed through the ambush area, including ambulances, without incident. At 6 a.m., troops identified several ambulances transporting who they believed to be Hamas terrorists and opened fire.
The IDF's investigation
The IDF opened an investigation into the incident and on Saturday released its initial findings. At least six of those killed were posthumously identified as Hamas operatives, the IDF said, adding that it planned to name the terrorists once its internal probe was completed.
The soldiers deemed the vehicles “suspicious” because they were being driven without any headlights or emergency lights, the IDF said. Furthermore, they were uncoordinated and showed up at the scene very soon after terrorist operatives were there, it said.
Throughout the war in Gaza, Hamas terrorists have been embedded inside civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and ambulances. Israeli authorities have, over the years, provided evidence, such as interviews with apprehended Hamas operatives, to bolster this claim. So, such suspicions could be considered reasonable in the heat of the moment.
Footage taken by one of the medics, and which was published by the New York Times, however, shows that the vehicles were clearly marked and even had emergency lights on when the shooting began.
The IDF acknowledged that based on the video, its initial report that the lights of the vehicles had been off was incorrect and was based on the testimonies of soldiers. The complete findings of the investigation were expected to be presented to IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir at some point on Sunday.It’s a shame that it took the Times report for the IDF to clarify the incident.
Another controversy involved the bodies of the medics, which were recovered from a mass grave in Rafah. Palestinians accused the Israeli forces of attempting to cover up the incident by burying the bodies. The IDF rejected that assertion.
The IDF denied any accounts of executions, having tied up the hands of any of the medics, or that it had intentionally targeted the medics from close range.
The IDF also rejected the assertion that the troops had attempted to hide the evidence. The UN was notified immediately about the burial spot and told to collect the bodies, the IDF said. The UN, however, said it was unable to find the site the next day.
According to the IDF’s investigation, the bodies were eventually recovered by the UN in coordination with the IDF.
Regardless of whether the IDF behaved in exemplary fashion or acted in rash fashion and attempted to cover it up afterward, the incident is a gruesome reminder of the fog of war.
It’s the role of the IDF, and Israel, to try to lift the fog and reveal what really happened. The killing of the medics and the shade surrounding it is a reminder that fighting in a war is not a blank check; there are still rules, and there are still protocols.
That the IDF had to issue a correction of its initial version of events is concerning, and it could haunt the military going forward in its justified efforts to target Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
Accuracy and transparency cannot become something that gets glossed over; it’s not who we are.
We will await the findings of the incident and reserve judgement. But giving an account of what happened and then changing it when damning evidence is provided by a media outlet is not a good look for the IDF or for Israel.