Colonel had authorized the series of deadly drone strikes on the convoy based on one major's observation, finds investigation
A breach of policy and a mistaken observation ultimately paved the way for the airstrike that killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers in Gaza on Monday, Israel revealed.
On Monday, Canadian-American Jacob Flickinger, 33, was travelling with the WCK team in a deconflicted zone in two armored cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle, WCK explained.
Despite coordinating movements with the Israel Defense Force (IDF), the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route.
An investigation conducted by a retired Israeli general found that a colonel had authorized the series of deadly drone strikes on the convoy based on one major’s observation – from grainy drone-camera footage – that someone in the convoy was armed, according to a report from The Candain Press published on The Globe and Mail. That observation turned out to be untrue, military officials said.
However, under the Israeli army’s rules of engagement, officers must have more than one reason for identifying someone as a target before they can be hit.
Following the incident, the colonel and the major were dismissed, while three other officers were reprimanded, the most senior of whom was the head of the Southern Command, the Israeli army said, according to The Canadian Press.
The results of the investigation were turned over to the military’s advocate general. The advocate general will then decide whether the officers or anyone else involved in the killings should receive further punishment or be prosecuted.
“It’s a tragedy,” the military’s spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said, according to The Canadian Press.
“It’s a serious event that we are responsible for and it shouldn’t have happened and we will make sure that it won’t happen again.”
Canada called for investigation into WCK workers’ death
On Wednesday, Melanie Joly, foreign minister, called for a full investigation into the killing of aid workers, according to a Reuters report.
Following the killing of World Central Kitchen workers, Joly wrote in French on social media platform X:
"I am horrified to hear reports of the IDF strike taking the lives of seven World Central Kitchen employees in Gaza yesterday, including a Canadian citizen.
"We condemn these strikes and call for a full investigation. Canada expects full accountability for these killings and we will convey this to the Israeli government directly. Strikes on humanitarian personnel are absolutely unacceptable.”
Also, following the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video statement expressed regret over the incident and called it a "tragic case of our forces unintentionally hitting innocent people in the Gaza Strip," according to a CBC report.
He also said "this happens in wartime" and that Israel was looking into the situation.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeua raised an issue with Netanyahu’s statement.
"No, it doesn't just happen," Trudeau said Thursday during an event in Winnipeg, according to CBC. "And it shouldn't just happen when you have aid workers for an extraordinary organization like World Central Kitchen risking their lives every day in an incredibly dangerous place to deliver food to people who are experiencing a horrific humanitarian catastrophe."
