15 Gaza Aid Workers, Including UN Driver, Killed and Buried by Israeli Forces on March 23, Autopsies Show

Autopsy reports obtained by multiple sources, including The New York Times, confirm that 15 people, including 14 Palestinian paramedics from the Palestine Red Crescent and Civil Defense and one United Nations driver, were killed on March 23, 2025, in southern Gaza when Israeli forces fired on ambulances and a fire truck. The autopsies, conducted between April 1 and April 5, 2025, show that at least four victims were shot in the head, six in the chest or back, and others suffered shrapnel injuries. Most victims had multiple gunshot wounds. The bodies were buried in a mass grave, and the ambulances, fire truck, and a U.N. vehicle were also crushed and buried. Video and witness accounts indicate that the emergency vehicles had their lights and sirens on at the time of the attack. Israeli authorities initially claimed they could not identify the vehicles as rescue teams due to lack of visibility, but later video evidence contradicted this statement. The Israeli military has acknowledged carrying out the attack and has provided shifting explanations, including unsubstantiated claims that some of the victims were Hamas operatives. The military has stated that an internal investigation is ongoing. Humanitarian organizations have called for an independent investigation.