The airstrike was a mistake, officers have admitted, following international outrage and accusations of intentional focusing on
Israel Protection Forces (IDF) Chief of Workers Herzi Halevi has described as a “grave mistake” the bombing of a humanitarian convoy in Gaza on Monday. Seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) support staff, principally foreigners, have been killed in an airstrike that reportedly focused a Hamas militant. The incident has sparked worldwide condemnation.
Halevi took to X (previously Twitter) on Tuesday to apologize for the strike that left three British residents useless, in addition to a Polish and an Australian nationwide, a Canadian-American twin citizen, and a Palestinian.
”I wish to be very clear – the strike was not carried out with the intention of harming WCK support staff. It was a mistake that adopted a misidentification – at night time throughout a conflict in very advanced situations. It shouldn’t have occurred,” Halevi mentioned in a video assertion revealed on the official account of the IDF.
The final went on to explain the incident as a “grave mistake,” and mentioned the IDF have been “sorry for the unintentional hurt” triggered to the members of the WCK.
One other apology was issued to WCK founder Jose Andres by Israeli President Isaac Herzog. He referred to as Andres to precise “deep sorrow and honest apologies,” the Occasions of Israel newspaper has reported, citing an announcement from the president’s workplace.
The acknowledgements come after Andres lashed out at a comment made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wherein he steered that such “tragic” and “unintended” incidents occur “in wartime.”
“The airstrikes on our convoy weren’t just a few unlucky mistake within the fog of conflict,” Andres wrote within the Yedioth Ahronoth each day. “It was a direct assault on clearly marked autos whose actions have been recognized by the IDF.”
Haaretz newspaper reported on Tuesday that the IDF had focused the WCK convoy deliberately due to suspicion {that a} Hamas operative was touring with the group. The outlet’s protection sources mentioned the automobiles had been “clearly marked on the roof and sides” with the WCK brand, however that an IDF unit answerable for the safety of the route “recognized an armed man” with the group and “suspected that he was a terrorist.”
The incident drew condemnation from the worldwide group, together with from the staunchest allies of Israel, such because the US and the UK, and different nations whose residents have been among the many useless.
Israel declared conflict on Hamas after the Palestinian militants carried out a shock cross-border raid on October 7 final yr, killing some 1,100 folks and taking greater than 200 hostages. The Israeli army marketing campaign has since left almost 33,000 folks useless, based on the Palestinian well being ministry.
