Israel admits ‘serious failures’ over deadly strike but insists aid workers were mistaken for Hamas: Updates
Biden and Netanyahu spoke on Thursday for first time since deaths of aid workers as pressure mounts on Sunak to withdraw arms sales
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Israel has admitted that “serious failures” were made by its forces after seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers were killed in an airstrike in Gaza.
The IDF announced on Friday that its internal investigation into the incident had concluded.
While admitting that a “grave mistake” was made, the IDF continued to claim innocence over the attack – insisting that the WCK workers were “misidentified” as Hamas militants. Two military officers have been dismissed from their positions following the findings, the IDF said.
More than 220 humanitarian workers have been killed in the conflict, according to the UN. Scott Paul of Oxfam said on Thursday: “The killing of aid workers in Gaza has been systemic.”
The announcement comes hours after Israel agreed to reopen two border crossings into Gaza to increase the flow of humanitarian aid, after President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a call that future US support for Israel would be determined by its efforts to protect civilians and aid workers.
Meanwhile, former UK foreign secretary Alan Duncan is being investigated by Tory chiefs after he said pro-Israel “extremists” in the party should be kicked out over their refusal to support international law.
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World Central Kitchen demands independent probe into air worker killings
World Central Kitchen demands the creation of an independent commission to investigate killings of its aid workers by Israel‘s Defence Forces (IDF), the aid charity said in a statement.
“The IDF cannot credibly investigate its own failure in Gaza,” it said.
World Central Kitchen releases statament following Israel’s investigation into death of aid workers
In a statement after the Israeli military dismissed two officers over drone strikes that killed seven workers from World Central Kitchen, the aid organisation said: “The IDF has acknowledged its responsibility and its fatal errors in the deadly attack on our convoy in Gaza.
“It is also taking disciplinary action against those in command, and committed to other reforms. These are important steps forward.
“However, it is also clear from their preliminary investigation that the IDF has deployed deadly force without regard to its own protocols, chain of command and rules of engagement.
“The IDF has acknowledged that our teams followed all proper communications procedures. The IDF’s own video fails to show any cause to fire on our personnel convoy, which carried no weapons and posed no threat.
“Without systemic change, there will be more military failures, more apologies and more grieving families.
“The root cause of the unjustified rocket fire on our convoy is the severe lack of food in Gaza.
“Israel needs to dramatically increase the volume of food and medicine traveling by land if it is serious about supporting humanitarian aid.”
What’s even more shocking than three Britons killed in Gaza? They take the death toll of aid workers past 200
Humanitarian volunteers have paid a terrible price for delivering vital aid to people trapped in Gaza’s danger zones.
As experts say the UN has recorded the highest number of staff fatalities since the Second World War, Bel Trew assesses the chilling impact of Israeli airstrikes on the food charity convoy:
The group of aid workers were coming back from a long day coordinating the latest delivery of supplies to Gaza via a new maritime corridor to help fight a looming famine in the 42km strip. The aid, coordinated with Israel and Cyprus, was handled by World Central Kitchen (WCK), a US-based charity which feeds people across the world’s front lines and disaster zones.
A Palestinian aid worker back at their base in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, told The Independent he was waiting for the team to get home.
But just after 10pm local time, Israel pounded the three-vehicle convoy, killing all seven aid workers including three British citizens. This, despite the fact they were travelling in a deconflicted zone in cars branded with the WCK logo and their movements were coordinated with the Israelis.
The deaths of British aid workers in Gaza is part of a deadly pattern
Humanitarian volunteers have paid a terrible price for delivering vital aid to people trapped in Gaza’s danger zones. As experts say the UN has recorded the highest number of staff fatalities since the Second World War, Bel Trew assesses the chilling impact of Israeli airstrikes on the food charity convoy
Over 220 humanitarian workers killed in Israel-Gaza war
More than 220 humanitarian workers have been killed in the conflict, according to the U.N.
“Let’s be very clear. This is tragic, but it is not an anomaly,” Scott Paul, of the humanitarian group Oxfam, said Thursday in a briefing with other relief organizations before the results of Israel’s investigation were released. “The killing of aid workers in Gaza has been systemic.”
The army declined to answer questions about whether similar violations of rules of engagement have taken place during the war — in which Palestinians, aid workers and international rights groups have repeatedly accused the army of recklessly striking civilians.
Israel’s investigation into the incident was led by Yoav Har-Even, a retired military officer.
He said: “The investigation’s findings indicate that the incident should not have occurred. Those who approved the strike were convinced that they were targeting armed Hamas operatives and not WCK employees.
“The strike on the aid vehicles is a grave mistake stemming from a serious failure due to a mistaken identification, errors in decision-making, and an attack contrary to the Standard Operating Procedures.”
What Israel claims led to the bombing of the aid trucks
Israel’s findings into the incident claim that they identified two gunmen on one of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid trucks.
They claimed that one of their commanders assumed the gunmen were Hamas militants. Following this assumption, they did not identify the aid trucks as WCK.
They then targeted the three WCK trucks.
Two military officers dismissed over deadly attack on aid workers
Israel’s investigation into the bombing of seven aid workers was led by Yoav Har-Even, a retired military officer, who on Friday said two military officers have been dismissed over the drone strikes on aid workers.
Israel admits ‘grave mistake’ after bombing kills seven aid workers in Gaza
Israel has admitted its forces made a “grave mistake” after seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen were killed in an airstrike.
The humanitarian group, which delivers food aid to war and disaster zones, said the seven were returning from coordinating an aid shipment in central Gaza when their three car convoy was struck and they were killed.
Follow this breaking news story here:
Israel admits ‘grave mistake’ after bombing kills seven aid workers in Gaza
Israel has admitted its forces made a “grave mistake” after seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen were killed in an airstrike.
Opinion | It’s time to put Conservatives’ links with Israel under the spotlight
Conservative Friends of Israel, the long-standing parliamentary lobby group, is beginning to resemble the Westminster outpost for Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud coalition, says Peter Oborne.
He writes: “Conservative Friends of Israel boasts that its membership includes 80 per cent of Tory MPs. It can whistle up cabinet ministers for its lunches and dinners, and has superb access to Downing Street, Westminster and Whitehall. There are queues round the block to its famous party at the annual Tory conference.
“The Conservative historian and politician Robert Rhodes James defined the CFI as ‘the largest organisation in Western Europe dedicated to the cause of the people of Israel.
“That was 40 years ago. Its influence has grown substantially since.”
Read the full article here:
It’s time to put Conservatives’ links with Israel under the spotlight
Conservative Friends of Israel, the long-standing parliamentary lobby group, is beginning to resemble the Westminster outpost for Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud coalition, says Peter Oborne
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