The attack that cost lives on 1er The killing of seven aid workers in the Gaza Strip in April was the result of “serious failings” by the Israeli military, according to an Australian government inquiry report released on Friday.
The investigation, led by former air chief Mark Binskin, was ordered by Canberra following the death of an Australian woman in the series of three strikes, which also killed three Britons, an American-Canadian, a Pole and a Palestinian.
The seven victims worked for the American organization World Central Kitchen (WCK), founded by the famous chef José Andrés. The Israeli army has acknowledged a series of errors at various levels.
The attack “was not knowingly or deliberately directed against WCK,” the report states, recalling that the internal investigation conducted by the Israeli army concluded that there was a “serious error resulting from a serious failure due to misidentification, errors in decision-making and violations of the rules of engagement and standard operating procedures.”
According to the document, the Israeli military mistook the humanitarian convoy for a convoy of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas because of the presence on the roof of one of the trucks of an armed security guard apparently working for WCK.
“In this incident, it appears that the Israel Defense Forces’ controls failed, leading to errors in decision-making and misidentification,” the report said.
One of the biggest mistakes was not reading the movement plan previously agreed between the IDF and WCK.
Israel only discovered the error when reports began circulating on social media about an hour after the attack, the report concluded.
Beyond the litany of operational failures, Mr. Binskin’s report found that Israel’s response was “appropriate.” Two officers were quickly dismissed and three others were reprimanded, the report said.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged Israel to apologize, and said her government would continue to press for full accountability, including possible criminal charges.
“The Australian government will persist until humanitarian workers are adequately protected,” she told reporters. “The best protection for humanitarian workers and civilians is a ceasefire,” she added.