Israeli army cites 'threat' in killing of aid workers

The Israeli military says an initial investigation into the killing of 15 emergency workers in the south of the Gaza Strip last month shows that the incident occurred "due to a sense of threat".

It said it had identified six Hamas militants as being in the vicinity during the incident in the city of Rafah.

In a statement, the military said it was conducting a more in depth investigation but the preliminary "inquiry indicated that the troops opened fire due to a perceived threat following a previous encounter in the area" and that six of the individuals killed "were identified as Hamas" militants.

The emergency workers were shot dead on March 23 and buried in shallow graves.

The Israeli military initially said it opened fire after unmarked vehicles approached in the dark but changed its account after video emerged showing clearly marked ambulances and fire trucks with their lights on coming under fire.

A deeper investigation would be conducted in the coming days and its findings would be presented to the public, the Israeli military said.

The Red Crescent Society did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Israeli findings.

After the incident, the Palestine Red Crescent Society called for an independent international investigation and said "that the targeting of its ambulance convoy" was "a full-fledged war crime, reflecting a dangerous pattern of repeated violation of international humanitarian law".

The emergency workers were from the Red Cross, Red Crescent, United Nations and the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service.

The heads of six UN agencies called on Monday for an urgent renewal of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, warning of aid shortages and hunger since Israel resumed its all-out assault with the deadliest week for the enclave's children of the past year.

No new humanitarian supplies have entered the Gaza Strip since Israel blocked the entry of aid trucks on March 2, as talks stalled on the next stage of a now broken truce.

Israel resumed its assault on March 18.

"More than 2.1 million people are trapped, bombed and starved again while, at crossing points, food, medicine, fuel and shelter supplies are piling up," said a statement co-signed by the heads of six UN agencies including the UN's aid coordination agency (OCHA) and the World Food Programme.

At least 1000 children were killed or injured during the first week after fighting resumed, the statement added, describing that week's death toll as the highest for children of the past year.

"We are witnessing acts of war in Gaza that show an utter disregard for human life … We appeal to world leaders to act - firmly, urgently and decisively - to ensure the basic principles of international humanitarian law are upheld," the statement read.

Israel denies violating humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip and blames Hamas fighters for harm to civilians for operating among them, which the fighters deny.

The agencies also warned of critical food and medical shortages in the enclave.

Twenty-five bakeries supported by the World Food Programme during the ceasefire had to close due to flour and cooking gas shortages, it said.

More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli campaign in Gaza, Palestinian officials say.

It was launched after thousands of Hamas-led gunmen attacked communities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and abducting 251 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.