"Israel Investigates" – but how does it really work?

Over 100 Palestinians killed while waiting for emergency aid. Seven aid workers shot dead in their cars. A renowned surgeon dies in Israeli captivity. These are just a few in a long series of suspected missteps that Israel's military claims to be investigating during the war. Here is a selection.

» Updated: July 16 2024

» Published: June 22 2024

"Israel Investigates" – but how does it really work?
Photo: Abd al-Karim Hana/AP/TT

Over 100 Palestinians killed while waiting for emergency aid. Seven aid workers shot dead in their cars. A renowned surgeon dies in Israeli captivity.

These are just a few in a long series of suspected missteps that Israel's military says it will investigate during the war. Here is a selection.

al-Mawasi, Khan Yunis, 23 January

Ramzi Abu Sahlul, 51, is shot dead on his way to help relatives evacuate from a combat zone. Video footage shows the shopkeeper and four other men with a white flag and raised hands walking along a street. The camera pans and shows an Israeli tank positioned a short distance away. Shots are fired, and the 51-year-old is then seen dead on the ground. According to the journalist who filmed the incident, the tank fired at the group, reports AP.

The same week, Israel's military (IDF) initially claims that the video is manipulated, then says the incident will be investigated. AP now reports that the military has concluded a "thorough investigation" found that the tank crew did not fire at the men – but that it cannot be determined whether the man was killed by Israeli gunfire.

.

al-Rashid Street, Gaza City, 29 February

More than 100 Palestinians are killed and 760 injured in connection with the arrival of a convoy carrying flour to Gaza City. According to eyewitnesses, the crowd was fired upon by Israeli soldiers.

In an investigation, IDF later claims that the forces opened fire on a few individuals who were perceived as a threat to the soldiers. Tanks also allegedly fired warning shots to disperse the crowd. How over 100 people could have died is not explained. CNN, BBC, and The New York Times have conducted their own investigations, concluding that the video material released by Israel from the incident is edited and incomplete.

According to IDF, the massacre is still under investigation, reports AP.

.

Dayr al-Balah, 1 April

Seven aid workers of different nationalities from the World Central Kitchen are killed when their vehicles are attacked by Israeli drones. According to several investigations, including those by The Financial Times and Washington Post, the three vehicles were attacked separately.

In an initial response, Israel says the attack will be investigated. Hours later, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admits that the military unintentionally killed the aid workers.

In connection with a report released days later, two military personnel are dismissed and three others are reprimanded. Israel claims to have been targeting Hamas members but mistakenly attacked the vehicles.

World Central Kitchen rejects the investigation and demands a thorough review by independent actors. But Israel refuses an external investigation, reports The Jerusalem Post.

.

Ofer Prison, West Bank, 19 April

Prominent surgeon Adnan al-Bursh dies in the Israeli prison Ofer, where he had been held for over four months after being arrested in a raid on the hospital al-Awda. At the time of his arrest in December, he was in good health, according to the UN. Later, witnesses described how the surgeon looked exhausted and appeared to have been subjected to violence.

In several reports, including those by UNRWA, Israel has been accused of violence and torture against Palestinian prisoners. Israel has denied the allegations.

According to human rights organization PHR, the Israeli police have stated that al-Bursh's body will be autopsied, but it is unclear when. The status of the investigation is also unclear. In response to AP's question, the military and police refer to Israel's prison authorities, who refer back to the military.

.

Rafah, 13 May

Indian UN employee Waibhav Kale is killed when a UN vehicle is attacked near Rafah in southern Gaza Strip. Another UN employee is injured.

The vehicle was clearly marked with UN insignia, according to spokesperson Farhan Haq. Shortly after the attack, Israel announces that the vehicle did not coordinate its route with IDF and that the incident will be investigated.

A week later, IDF concludes in an investigation that the vehicle was attacked multiple times, according to Haaretz. The soldiers who fired broke military rules regarding the exercise of extra caution when aid workers are involved, the investigation finds.

.

Tal al-Sultan, Rafah, 26 May

At least 45 people are killed and over 200 injured when a massive fire breaks out after an Israeli airstrike near a tent camp west of Rafah. The international community is horrified by images and video footage from the inferno, showing people screaming in terror as charred bodies are dragged out of the rubble. In a widely circulated clip, a man is seen holding up a child's body without a head.

In the following days, Israel provides several different explanations for the deadly fire, claiming it could not have been caused solely by the robot attack.

According to IDF's subsequent investigation, the military acted in accordance with international law, as the attack was allegedly directed at two high-ranking commanders within the extremist group Hamas. On 3 June, Israel claims to have believed that no civilians were present in the area.

The Islamist extremist group Hamas attacked Israel on the morning of Saturday, 7 October last year. Around 1,150 people are estimated to have fallen victim to the terror attack, most of them civilians, and over 200 people were taken hostage.

Israel responded by declaring war. It has besieged Gaza, bombed the coastal strip continuously, and launched a ground invasion with the stated aim of destroying Hamas.

According to Hamas-controlled authorities, more than 37,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the outbreak of war. Large parts of the area's infrastructure have been razed to the ground, and aid organizations are warning of severe famine.

More than 100 people are still being held hostage in Gaza, according to Israel, since around the same number were released in exchanges and others were rescued. Many of those still captive are feared to no longer be alive.

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By TTThis article has been altered and translated by Sweden Herald

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