Asger Risom
Military cites suspected Hamas use; group accuses Israel of a war crime
The Israeli military confirmed on Saturday that its forces opened fire on what were later identified as ambulances and fire trucks during a recent offensive in southern Gaza, as reported by HotNews.ro. The incident occurred in Rafah’s Tal al-Sultan district near the Egyptian border, amid renewed hostilities.
According to an Israeli army statement, troops initially targeted Hamas vehicles and “eliminated several Hamas terrorists.” Moments later, additional vehicles approached, and soldiers responded with live fire. A preliminary investigation later revealed that some of these vehicles were emergency response units, including ambulances and fire trucks.
The military blamed Hamas and other groups in Gaza for “repeatedly using ambulances for terror-related activities” but did not specify whether any of the targeted vehicles had posed an active threat at the time of the strike.
Hamas Condemns the Attack
Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, and several other countries, strongly condemned the incident. Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, called it a “deliberate and brutal massacre” against civil defense and Palestinian Red Crescent workers in Rafah.
Gaza’s civil defense agency reported losing contact with a six-member rescue team after the attack. Days later, they found the body of the team leader near a destroyed ambulance and fire truck. Another vehicle belonging to the Palestinian Red Crescent was reportedly “reduced to a pile of scrap metal.”
“This targeted killing of rescuers—who are protected under international humanitarian law—is a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions and constitutes a war crime,” Naim asserted.
The Israeli military has not commented on whether further disciplinary or investigatory steps will follow, but international scrutiny of civilian casualties in Gaza remains intense as the war continues.