The doctor who carried out the deaths of 15 paramedics and rescue workers killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in March said he was primarily killed by gunshots in the head and torso and injuries from explosives.
International protests last month came after Israeli forces launched a fatal attack on a group of paramedics from Palestinian red crescents, civil defense and UN workers as they conducted rescue operations in southern Gaza.
Their bodies, along with crushed vehicles, were buried by Israeli forces in the sandy masses of Gaza. After excavating the bodies a few days later, the UN allegedly executed “one at a time.”
Ahmed Dya, a Gaza forensic pathologist who conducted autopsies on 14 of the 15 victims, said he discovered “scars caused by lacerations, bullet invasion wounds and explosive injuries, which were concentrated primarily on the torso, abdomen, back and head.”
Most died from gunshot wounds, including evidence that Dhair is called “butterfly bullets,” which is evidence of a “explosive bullet.”
“We found the remains of an explosive bullet,” says Dhair. “In one case, the head of the bullet exploded in the chest, and the remaining pieces of the bullet were found inside the body. There were also debris and rap shotguns from the bullets scattered behind the victim.”
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) did not immediately respond to allegations that these bullets were being used in the attack.
Details of the incident remained controversial. Video footage that emerged from the start of the attack shows a fleet of ambulances being fired, but the subsequent events that followed the bodies of 15 workers were buried in mass graves are still unknown.
Israeli forces admitted to killing, but were forced to change versions of the event after evidence emerged that the vehicle was inconsistent with the statement that it was “moving suspiciously” without light.
Without publicly presenting evidence, Israel claims that the six unarmed workers killed were Hamas operatives, which were rejected by Red Crescent.
Dhair said his findings did not suggest that paramedics were shot at close range, but emphasized that he is not a munitions expert. He said the rap shotguns found inside the body also suggested they were attacked by some form of explosive device. “In some cases, injuries seemed like an explosive mix of regular fires,” he said.
In response to allegations that some bodies had dug with their hands tied and then suggesting that they would be captured or held before being killed, Dhair said he had not seen any visible signs of restraint.
“Only in one case there was discoloration and bruises on the wrist. All the men were clearly wearing uniforms for their work and their bodies were beginning to break down.
The findings are likely to increase pressure on Israel to fully explain the case amid accusations of war crimes. Israel says it is still under investigation.
This week it was revealed that Assad al-Nsasrah, one of two paramedics who survived the incident, had no known location since – had been held in Israeli detention.
Medical Charity Medecines Sun Frontiers said on Wednesday that Gaza is becoming a “popular grave for Palestinians.”
More than two weeks before the collapse of the ceasefire between Israeli and Palestinian extremist groups, aid supplies such as food, fuel, water, medicine have been prevented from entering Gaza more than two weeks before the collapse of the ceasefire between Israeli and Palestinian extremist groups, returning to air and ground attacks on the territory.
Israel has said it will continue to block humanitarian aid from entering Gaza as it vows to force Hamas to release the remaining hostages from the attack on October 7, 2023.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said: “Israel’s policy is clear. Humanitarian aid will not enter Gaza. This blockade of aid is one of the main pressure levers that will prevent Hamas from using it as a tool for its population.”
“Now no one has planned to grant humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and we are not prepared to enable such assistance,” said Katz, who threatened to escalate a conflict with “a tremendous force” if Hamas did not return the hostages.
Amnesty International is one of the aid agencies that described Israel’s blockade of all supplies entering Gaza as crimes against humanity and violations of international humanitarian law. Israel denied the violation.
Since Israel resumed airstrikes and ground operations on March 18, more than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began, including more than 1,600. The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, but said more than half of the deaths were women and children.
Another 13 people were killed overnight in an airstrike, and famous photographer Fatema Hassona died among those reportedly killed in the northern part of the Strip.
Earth doctors and aid groups said the humanitarian situation in Gaza was becoming more and more enthusiastic on a daily basis.
“The situation is the worst in 18 months in terms of resuming hostilities and attacks against all Palestinians in Gaza, being taken away from your basic necessities,” he said. Medical assistance for PalestiniansBritish charity.
Israel has been accused of exacerbating the humanitarian situation by targeting hospitals and health workers in Gaza, and two hospitals have been attacked this week and are in debilitating. Israel claims Hamas used medical facilities to cover terrorist operations.
The resumption of aid to Gaza has become a highly inflammatory political issue in Israel. There are still 58 hostages in Gaza, and 24 are believed to be still alive after Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government far-right figures said aid should not be restored to Gaza civilians until Hamas agrees to release the hostages.
“As long as our hostages are suffering in the tunnel, there is no reason for one gram of food or aid to enter Gaza,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gwil said Wednesday.
