The Israeli military announced Friday it would be dismissing and reprimanding senior military officials after its investigation into the airstrike that killed 7 World Central Kitchen (WCK) humanitarian workers in Gaza concluded. It stated that the airstrikes were "in serious violation" of military operating procedures and were a "grave mistake."
The IDF said in a written statement Friday, delivered by the Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari and head of misconduct unit Yoav Har-Even, that it presented its findings to WCK and "reiterated the IDF’s deep sorrow about the incident."
While the WCK accepted the IDF's investigation and subsequent dismissal of officers, it requested a separate investigation from an "independent commission."
"The IDF cannot credibly investigate its own failure in Gaza," the non-profit group said in a statement.
According to the military's statement, "The investigation found that the forces identified a gunman on one of the aid trucks, following which they identified an additional gunman. After the vehicles left the warehouse where the aid had been unloaded, one of the commanders mistakenly assumed that the gunmen were located inside the accompanying vehicles and that these were Hamas terrorists."
"The forces did not identify the vehicles in question as being associated with WCK. Following a misidentification by the forces, the forces targeted the three WCK vehicles based on the misclassification of the event and misidentification of the vehicles as having Hamas operatives inside them, with the resulting strike leading to the deaths of seven innocent humanitarian aid workers," the statement continued.
"The strikes on the three vehicles were carried out in serious violation of the commands and IDF Standard Operating Procedures."
It added that "Those who approved the strike were convinced that they were targeting armed Hamas operatives and not WCK employees."
"The IDF will learn the lessons of the incident and will incorporate them into the IDF's ongoing operations,' the Israeli military concluded.
Two officers were dismissed, the fire support commander and chief of staff within the brigade, and two others are to be formally reprimanded, the commander, a colonel, and a division commander.
The IDF said in a written statement Friday, delivered by the Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari and head of misconduct unit Yoav Har-Even, that it presented its findings to WCK and "reiterated the IDF’s deep sorrow about the incident."
While the WCK accepted the IDF's investigation and subsequent dismissal of officers, it requested a separate investigation from an "independent commission."
"The IDF cannot credibly investigate its own failure in Gaza," the non-profit group said in a statement.
According to the military's statement, "The investigation found that the forces identified a gunman on one of the aid trucks, following which they identified an additional gunman. After the vehicles left the warehouse where the aid had been unloaded, one of the commanders mistakenly assumed that the gunmen were located inside the accompanying vehicles and that these were Hamas terrorists."
"The forces did not identify the vehicles in question as being associated with WCK. Following a misidentification by the forces, the forces targeted the three WCK vehicles based on the misclassification of the event and misidentification of the vehicles as having Hamas operatives inside them, with the resulting strike leading to the deaths of seven innocent humanitarian aid workers," the statement continued.
"The strikes on the three vehicles were carried out in serious violation of the commands and IDF Standard Operating Procedures."
It added that "Those who approved the strike were convinced that they were targeting armed Hamas operatives and not WCK employees."
"The IDF will learn the lessons of the incident and will incorporate them into the IDF's ongoing operations,' the Israeli military concluded.
Two officers were dismissed, the fire support commander and chief of staff within the brigade, and two others are to be formally reprimanded, the commander, a colonel, and a division commander.
