Doctors who had autopsy for 15 paramedics and rescue workers killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in March said they were mainly killed by gunfire in the head and torso, as well as damage caused by explosives.
Last month, international outcry came after Israeli forces carried out a fatal attack on a team of paramedics from Palestinian Red Crescent, civil defense and UN workers while Israeli forces were conducting rescue operations in southern Gaza.
Israeli troops were buried with crushed vehicles in a sandy grave in Gaza. After the bodies were excavated a few days later, the United Nations claimed they had been “executed one by one”.
Gaza forensic doctor Ahmed Dhair, who performed an autopsy on 14 of the 15 victims, told Guardian that he found “a tear, a bullet entry wound, and an explosive injury. These are concentrated in the torso area – chest, chest, abdomen, back and head.”
Most people died from gunshot wounds, including what Dahl called evidence of “explosion bullets,” also known as “butterfly bullets,” which exploded inside the body when impacted, tearing away flesh and bones.
“We found the remains of explosive bullets,” Dahl said. “In one case, the bullet explodes in the chest and the remaining bullet fragments are found inside the body. There are also residues or shrapnels in the bullets scattered on the back of one victim.”
The IDF did not immediately respond to allegations that the bullets had been used in the attack.
Details of the incident remain controversial. Videotapes that appeared since the start of the attack showed the ambulance convoy being criticized, but the subsequent incident that led to the burial of 15 workers in large-scale graves is unclear.
Israel’s military admitted to the murders but was forced to change the version of its incident when there was evidence that the vehicles had been “suspiciously moving” without lights. Israel claims that there is no public evidence and that the six unarmed workers were killed were agents of Hamas, which was rejected by Red Crescent.
Dahl said his findings did not imply that the paramedics were shooting at close range, but stressed that he was not an ammunition expert. The shrapnel found in the bodies also indicated that they were hit by some form of explosive device, he said. “In some cases, the injury appears to be a mixture of explosive and conventional gunshot wounds,” he said.
In response to the allegations, some of the bodies were tied up, suggesting they were captured or caught before being killed, Dahl said he saw no visible signs of restraint. “Only in one case, there was discoloration and bruising on the wrist, which could be due to restrictions,” he said. All were obviously wearing work clothes and their bodies began to break down.
The findings could increase pressure on Israel to fully account for the incident, which was charged with war crimes. Israel said it is still under investigation. What appeared this week was Assad al-Nsasrah, one of the two health care workers who survived the incident, was held in Israeli custody.
Médecins, a medical charity of SANSANSIères, said on Wednesday that Gaza is becoming a “massive grave” for Palestinians.
Israel has blocked aid supplies including food, fuel, water and medicine since March 2, returning to air and ground attacks on the territory more than two weeks before the ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants.
Israel said it would continue to block humanitarian aid from entering Gaza as it vowed to force Hamas to release the remaining hostages from the October 7 attack.
Israeli Defense Minister Katz said: “Israel’s policy is clear: No humanitarian aid will enter Gaza, and stopping such aid is one of the main pressure rods that prevent Hamas from using it as a tool for population.”
“At present, no one intends to allow any humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and is not prepared,” Katz said.
Amnesty International is one of the aid agencies, describing the blockade of all Israeli supplies in Gaza as a crime against humanity and a crime against international humanitarian law. Israel denies any violations.
More than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict, including more than 1,600 people since Israel resumed air strikes and ground operations on March 18. Instead of distinguishing between combatants and civilians, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said that more than half of them were women and children.
Overnight, 13 other people were killed in an air strike, and a famous photographer, Fatema Hassouna, died in the northern part of the strip.
Doctors and aid groups on the ground say the humanitarian situation in Gaza is getting worse every day. “The situation is that in 18 months, the worst thing is being deprived of your basic necessities, as well as hostilities and attacks against Palestinians throughout Gaza,” said Mahmoud Shalabi, director of Palestinians.
Israel has been accused of worsening the humanitarian situation against hospitals and medical staff working in Gaza, with two hospitals attacking and air strikes debilitating this week. Israel claims Hamas has used medical institutions as cover for terrorist operations.
In Israel, restoring aid to restore becomes a political issue in Gaza has become a highly inflammatory political issue. Gaza still has 58 hostages, who were captured after attacking Israel in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and 24 people are believed to be still alive. The far-right figure in the prime minister of Benjamin Netanyahu government said aid to Gaza civilians should not be restored until Hamas agrees to the release of hostages.
“As long as our hostages are in trouble in the tunnel, there is no reason to just one gram of food or any aid to enter Gaza,” National Security Minister Itama Ben-Gvir said on Wednesday.
