IDF removes two top officials after bombing of World Central Kitchen convoy sparked global fury.
The Israel Defense Forces said the soldiers believed the vehicle was carrying Hamas gunmen, not aid workers. | Yasser Qudihe/AFP via Getty Images
The Israel Defense Forces admitted culpability and fired two senior officers following an investigation into the airstrikes which killed seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK) on Monday.
It follows widespread global condemnation over the attack, including from Israel’s closest allies in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
An internal probe, which the IDF published results of on Friday, revealed significant errors and protocol violations that led to multiple strikes on an aid convoy belonging to the organization founded by celebrity chef José Andrés.
The IDF said “those who approved the strike were convinced that they were targeting armed Hamas operatives and not WCK employees.”
“The attack on the aid vehicles is a serious mistake, which stemmed from a serious failure, as a result of wrong identification, a mistake in decision-making and an attack contrary to the orders and open-fire regulations,” the IDF added.
But calls have been growing for an independent investigation, with WCK demanding “the creation of an independent commission to investigate the killings” because “the IDF cannot impartially investigate its own actions in Gaza.”
“Their apologies for the outrageous killing of our colleagues represent cold comfort,” said Erin Gore, the CEO of WCK. “It’s cold comfort for the victims’ families and WCK’s global family.
“Israel needs to take concrete steps to assure the safety of humanitarian aid workers,” Gore said, adding that the organization’s work in the region is still on pause.
The IDF announced that it fired two senior officers — a major and a colonel in reserve — for their roles in the airstrikes. Multiple other top commanders will also be “formally reprimanded,” the military added.
Earlier this week, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that an “unintentional” Israeli airstrike killed “innocent people” in Gaza. But he added that “this happens in wartime.”
There is, however, some evidence the outcry has subtly shifted Israel’s hard-line behavior, after a monthslong assault and siege of the coastal enclave.
After Netanyahu spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden on the phone Thursday night, Israel announced steps to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza by opening two new humanitarian routes.
On Friday, the U.N. Human Rights Council demanded Israel be held accountable, as the attacks against people involved in humanitarian assistance could be war crimes.
“Attacking people or objects involved in humanitarian assistance may amount to a war crime,” U.N. Human Rights Office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said. “As the High Commissioner has repeatedly stated, impunity must end.”
Israel’s retaliation against Hamas in Gaza — sparked by the militant group’s violent attack against Israel on Oct. 7 last year, in which it killed more than 1,000 people and captured hostages — is growing increasingly difficult for its allies to support, as the IDF lays waste to swathes of Gaza killing thousands of people.
Source: Politico
