Instructions for use ignored
Israel fires officers for killing international aid workers
April 5, 2024, 2:04 p.m
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Instead of armed Hamas fighters, Israel fires on a convoy belonging to the aid organization World Central Kitchen, killing seven employees. Now the Israeli military is firing two officers and reprimanding the commanders. They are said to have violated operational regulations.
After the Israeli army’s deadly attack on employees of the aid organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) in the Gaza Strip, the military wants to remove two officers from their posts. Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi has decided to dismiss a responsible commander and the chief of staff of the responsible brigade from their positions, the military said. Other commanders are reportedly being warned.
An army investigation concluded that Monday night’s incident represented a “serious failure” by Israeli forces. They attacked the aid convoy because they suspected that two armed Hamas members were in the car, according to a military unit responsible for investigating unusual incidents during the war.
The Israeli emergency services did not recognize the vehicles as WCK cars. The attacks on the three vehicles were carried out in “a serious violation of the army’s orders and standard operating procedures.” “The results of the investigation indicate that the incident should not have happened,” it said. According to World Central Kitchen, the three bombed vehicles were clearly marked.
According to a report by Haaretz, the unit responsible for security on the road traveled by the convoy identified an armed man on a truck. The truck, escorted by WCK vehicles, then drove into a warehouse. A few minutes later, the aid organization’s three vehicles left the warehouse again – but without the truck on which the gunman was said to have been.
Worldwide horror
Army spokesman Daniel Hagari called the deaths of the aid workers a tragedy. “This is a serious incident for which we are responsible and which should not have happened and we will ensure that it does not happen again,” he assured. Amid increasing pressure on Israel to investigate the attack, Hagari and other officials revealed to reporters late Thursday the results of the military’s unusually quick and detailed investigation.
The seven aid workers killed in the incident came from Australia, Poland, Britain and the Palestinian territories, according to the aid organization. In addition, one of the victims has American and Canadian citizenship. The death of the aid workers who were distributing meals to the suffering civilian population in the Gaza Strip sparked global outrage and sharp criticism of Israel.