Halevi issued an apology on Wednesday for the attack, claiming the “incident was a grave mistake,” one that “followed a misidentification” .
The Israeli army’s chief of general staff, Herzi Halevi, has reportedly sacked two top army commanders who were linked to a deadly strike on a convoy of World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers in Gaza.
Halevi dismissed the commander of the Nahal Brigade – one of the army’s main infantry brigades – and another senior commander within the same brigade, the Anadolu news agency reported, citing Israel’s Channel 14.
The army chief issued an apology on Wednesday for the attack, claiming the “incident was a grave mistake,” one that “followed a misidentification” that happened “during a war in very complex conditions.”
He said the military had “completed a preliminary debrief” and its “initial findings” presented to him.
Independent Probe
WCK on Thursday called for an independent investigation into the killing of the seven aid workers in an Israeli airstrike on Monday as “the only way to determine the truth of what happened.”
The organization said “the military attack that involved multiple strikes” targeted three WCK vehicles.”
“All three vehicles were carrying civilians; they were marked as WCK vehicles; and their movements were in full compliance with Israeli authorities, who were aware of their itinerary, route, and humanitarian mission.”
‘Only Way to Determine Truth’ – WCK Calls for Independent Probe Into Israel’s Killing of Aid Workers
The aid workers killed were from Australia, Poland, United Kingdom, a dual citizen of the US and Canada, and Palestine.
Israel has admitted to the killings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it “a tragic event in which our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants,” and adding “This happens in war.”
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Tuesday quoted a source in the intelligence branch of the army as saying that the command “knows exactly what the cause of the attack was – in Gaza, everyone does as he pleases.”
‘This Happens in War’ – Netanyahu Admits Killing of Foreign Aid Workers in Gaza
Accountability
WCK said in a statement that an independent probe “is the only way to determine the truth of what happened, ensure transparency and accountability for those responsible, and prevent future attacks on humanitarian aid workers.”
Australia and the UK both summoned the Israeli ambassadors following the attack.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters “We want full accountability for this because this is a tragedy that should never have occurred.”
Britain’s Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, said in a statement: “I requested a quick and transparent investigation, shared with the international community, and full accountability.”
‘Completely Unacceptable’ – UK Summons Israeli Ambassador over Aid Workers’ Killing in Gaza
Over 33,000 Killed
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 33,091 Palestinians have been killed, and 75,750 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
(PC, Anadolu)
