Israel acknowledged on Friday that it had targeted what it claimed to be a "Hamas gunman" during an operation that resulted in the deaths of seven aid workers in Gaza. The incident sparked international condemnation, prompting Israel's military to admit to serious errors and breaches of its own engagement protocols.
The victims, including individuals from Australia, Britain, North America, Palestine, and Poland, lost their lives in a span of four minutes as Israeli drones launched three airstrikes while they attempted to flee in three vehicles, according to military reports.
An internal inquiry by the Israeli military revealed that the drone team responsible for the attack had made a critical error in judgment after identifying a suspected Hamas gunman firing from the top of one of the aid trucks under escort. The two commanding officers who authorized the strikes, a colonel and a major, have since been relieved of their duties.
Senior Israeli officials presented video evidence from drone footage purportedly showing a "Hamas operative" among the convoy of the US-based World Central Kitchen (WCK). Despite the WCK logos prominently displayed on the aid vehicles, retired Israeli General Yoav Har-Even, leading the investigation, claimed that darkness obscured these markings from the drone's camera, contributing to the mistaken identification.
In response, WCK reiterated that their convoy was operating in a designated safe zone, comprising two armored vehicles marked with WCK logos and a non-armored vehicle. They emphasized that they had coordinated their movements with the Israeli army, stating that the strike occurred as they departed from a warehouse in Deir al-Balah after unloading over 100 tons of humanitarian aid brought via maritime route.
The Israeli military explained that aid transfers were conducted at night to prevent potential stampedes by desperate Gazans seeking food. The deaths of the aid workers prompted a strong reaction from US President Joe Biden, who urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to initiate steps toward an immediate ceasefire during a tense phone call on Thursday.
Following international pressure, Israel announced its decision to permit "temporary" aid shipments into northern Gaza, an area flagged by the United Nations for its looming famine crisis.
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