An independent investigation reports that hundreds of rounds were fired at aid workers during a March 2025 massacre in Tal as-Sultan
An independent probe has determined that Israeli soldiers discharged more than 900 rounds at a convoy of clearly marked emergency vehicles in Rafah in 2025, resulting in the deaths of 15 Palestinian aid workers—some shot at close range.
The assault occurred on March 18, 2025 in the Tal as-Sultan district of southern Gaza, where local first responders had been dispatched to retrieve injured civilians. Among the 15 Palestinian aid workers killed were medics from the Palestine Red Crescent Society and Civil Defense members.
According to a report published Monday by independent research firm Forensic Architecture and audio investigation group Earshot, the victims were traveling in five ambulances and one fire truck—all clearly labeled and with emergency lights activated—when they came under continuous gunfire.
Investigators pieced together the incident using audio recordings, satellite imagery, video footage, and witness accounts. Some of the victims were reportedly “shot ‘execution-style’ from close range.”
Investigators examined footage retrieved from the phone of a deceased paramedic and identified at least 910 gunshots during the attack, with 844 rounds fired over five and a half minutes. “During this time, at least five shooters fired simultaneously, and witness statements indicate as many as thirty soldiers were present in the area,” according to the report.
The report noted that Israeli forces subsequently used heavy machinery to crush the vehicles and attempted to bury them along with the bodies. The researchers said the victims—all wearing identifying uniforms or volunteer vests—were recovered from a nearby mass grave.
Of the two survivors, one was abducted by Israeli forces and detained without charge for 37 days at the Sde Teiman detention facility in Israel, before being released in poor health. He testified that soldiers confiscated and buried his phone. The other survivor was used as a “human tool” at an Israeli military checkpoint near the site, the report added.
The Israel Defense Forces stated the area was an active combat zone and that troops perceived security risks. They later claimed one vehicle may have been linked to Hamas—a claim disputed by survivors and humanitarian organizations. An internal Israeli inquiry launched in April 2025 cited “professional failures” but rejected allegations of deliberate killings or criminal conduct, and recommended no criminal action against the units involved.
The UN, Red Cross, and several human rights groups condemned the killings.
Hundreds of medical and emergency personnel have been killed or injured since October 2023, when the IDF began its campaign in the enclave in response to a Hamas incursion into Israel that left at least 1,200 people dead and 250 taken hostage. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, more than 72,000 people have been killed since the war began.