---
title: "Israeli military says killing of 15 aid workers in Gaza caused by 'sense of threat'"
description: "CAIRO, April 7 (Reuters) - The Israeli military said on Monday that an initial investigation into the killing of 15 emergency workers in south Gaza last month showed that the incident occurred \"due to a sense of threat\"."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-04-07-israeli-military-says-killing-of-15-aid-workers-in-gaza-caused-by-sense-of-threat/"
published: "2025-04-07T21:35:01"
updated: "2025-04-07T21:35:03"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 234
---

# Israeli military says killing of 15 aid workers in Gaza caused by 'sense of threat'

> CAIRO, April 7 (Reuters) - The Israeli military said on Monday that an initial investigation into the killing of 15 emergency workers in south Gaza last month showed that the incident occurred "due to a sense of threat".

By Reuters · Published 7 April 2025, 23:35 SAST · Updated 7 April 2025, 23:35 SAST

## Key points
- In a tragic twist worthy of a thriller, the Israeli military has shifted its narrative from a chaotic nighttime encounter to a more calculated claim that six of the slain emergency workers in Rafah were Hamas militants, despite video evidence showing marked ambulances under fire, prompting calls for an independent investigation into what many are labeling a blatant war crime.
- Israeli military identifies six Hamas militants near Rafah incident, stating troops acted on perceived threat.
- Emergency workers, including Red Crescent and U.N. personnel, were shot dead on March 23, initially misidentified by the military.
- Video evidence of marked ambulances under fire prompted a revision of the military's account of the incident.
- Palestine Red Crescent calls for an independent investigation, labeling the attack on its convoy a "war crime."

## Content

It said it had identified six Hamas militants as being in the vicinity during the incident in the city of Rafah.

In a statement, the military said it was conducting a more in depth [investigation](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AS8N3PB06J&linkedFromStory=true) but the preliminary "inquiry indicated that the troops opened fire due to a perceived threat following a previous encounter in the area", and that six of the individuals killed "were identified as Hamas" militants.

The emergency workers were shot dead on March 23 and buried in shallow graves. The Israeli military initially said it opened fire after unmarked vehicles approached in the dark, but [changed its account](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N3QJ09R&linkedFromStory=true) after video emerged showing clearly marked ambulances and fire trucks with their lights on [coming under fire.](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N3QI1RG&linkedFromStory=true)

A deeper investigation would be conducted in the coming days and its findings would be presented to the public, the Israeli military said.

The Red Crescent Society did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Israeli findings.

After the incident, the Palestine Red Crescent Society called for an independent international investigation and said "that the targeting of its ambulance convoy" was "a full-fledged war crime, reflecting a dangerous pattern of repeated violation of international humanitarian law."

The emergency workers were from the Red Cross, Red Crescent, U.N. and the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service.

(Reporting by Menna Alaa El-Din, Hatem Maher and Ali Sawafta; editing by Mark Heinrich and Sharon Singleton)