Gaza rescue service dismisses Israeli probe into killing of medics as a 'fabricated investigation'

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CAIRO (AP) — The main Palestinian rescue service in Gaza on Monday condemned Israel's probe into the killings of 15 medical workers last month, calling it a “fabricated investigation.”

The army announced the results of its investigation on Sunday, saying it had found “professional failures” and dismissing a deputy commander in what it described as an accident.

A total of 15 people were killed in the March 23 incident — including eight medics with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, six members of the Hamas government's Civil Defense unit and a United Nations staffer. Troops bulldozed over the bodies along with their mangled vehicles, burying them in a mass grave. U.N. and rescue workers were only able to reach the site a week later.

In a statement, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the investigation underscores “the occupation's persistence in shielding the truth from the world.”

It accused Israel of making “fallacious allegations” that medical rescue teams are part of Hamas and asked why Israel continues to detain a paramedic who survived the attack.

“We call on the international community to abstain from validating the results of the occupation's fabricated investigation,” it said.

Israel at first claimed the medics’ vehicles were acting suspiciously and did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire. But the army later backtracked after cellphone video recovered from one medic showed the ambulances had lights flashing and logos visible as they pulled up to help another ambulance that earlier came under fire.

The military said six of those killed were Hamas militants, but has given little evidenced to support the claim.

The shootings outraged many in the international community, with some calling the killings a war crime.