Israel’s explanation for why 15 aid workers were killed and buried in a shallow grave after being fired upon by IDF troops has changed in the days since the incident.
The Palestine Red Crescent said what happened was a “fully fledged war crime” while Israel claims – without yet providing evidence – that Hamas members were among the dead.
In this story, Sky News will look at what we know about the 23 March incident, and examine how Israel’s account has changed in the days since.
What happened to the Gaza aid workers?
Fifteen paramedics and emergency responders were shot dead in the incident near the southern city of Rafah last month.
Their bodies were found a week later in a shallow grave by UN and Palestine Red Crescent officials.
One man was reportedly still missing and there was one known survivor – paramedic Munther Abed.
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30 March: What did Israel say at first?
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) initially said that soldiers opened fire on vehicles that had been approaching their position “suspiciously” in the dark without lights or markings.
It said they killed nine militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad who were travelling in Palestine Red Crescent vehicles.
Video emerges showing ambulance lights on
However, a video recovered from the phone of one of the dead men that was published by the Palestine Red Crescent appeared to contradict Israel’s initial account.
The clip – verified by Sky News – shows the ambulances and a fire vehicle clearly marked with flashing red lights.
It was filmed on 23 March north of Rafah and shows a convoy travelling south along a road towards the city centre. All of the vehicles visible in the convoy have their flashing lights on.
The only known survivor, Mr Abed, also said he had seen soldiers opening fire on clearly marked emergency response vehicles.
Late on Saturday 5 April, an Israeli military official said investigators were examining the video and trying to establish if an error had been made in the initial report.
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6 April: Troops ‘opened fire from afar’
Last Sunday, an Israeli military official said troops had opened fire on a vehicle around 4am on 23 March, killing two members of the Hamas internal security forces, and taking another prisoner, who the official said had admitted under interrogation to being in Hamas.
Around 6am, the official said soldiers received word from surveillance that a suspicious group of vehicles was approaching.
The official said the troops were at some distance away when they opened fire, and he denied reports that the troops handcuffed at least some of the paramedics and shot them at close range.
The official said the soldiers had approached the group they had fired upon and identified at least some of them as militants – he did not explain what evidence there was for this.
“There was no incident where the IDF tried to cover up. On the contrary, they called the UN immediately,” the official said.
7 April: Israel claims ‘six Hamas terrorists’ among those killed
Outcry over the incident continues, with the Palestine Red Crescent demanding an independent investigation into the “atrocious” deaths of the aid workers.
The group’s president, Dr Younis al Khatib, said he had asked the UN Security Council to form an investigation committee into the “intentional killing of the medics”.
An IDF investigation is ongoing, Israel says, but a government spokesperson David Mencer added: “IDF soldiers opened fire at a distance at vehicles moving suspiciously in their direction.
“Among the dead were six Hamas terrorists – what were Hamas terrorists doing in ambulances? The incident was reported in real time to UN officials.”
Mr Mencer claimed there were “many documented occasions” when Hamas had used ambulances as cover.
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8 April: Israel says it has ‘nothing to hide’
In an interview with Sky News on Tuesday, Mr Mencer said “Israel is not afraid of anything” when asked why it is not allowing an independent investigation.
Asked whether the IDF had any evidence any of those in the convoy were Hamas terrorists before they opened fire, Mr Mencer replied: “Our investigation is taking place right now. It’s going to be very thorough… We have nothing to hide whatsoever.“
When asked the question again, Mr Mencer said: “Emergency vehicles should be used to save lives. Hamas has turned them into getaway cars for killers.”
He was also asked about previous claims by Israel that the shooting had taken place in a combat zone – which Sky’s data and forensics unit found was not the case.
Mr Mencer responded: “There’s nothing I’m going to say that is going to prejudice this investigation.
“The results will come out shortly. It’s a thorough investigation by the IDF.”
