Australian Govt Blames IDF Failures for Aid Workers’ Deaths

An Australian government review has determined that “serious failures” by the Israeli military led to a drone strike on an aid convoy that resulted in the deaths of seven workers in Gaza.

Eko Hot Blog gathered that the April 1 strike killed charity workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) hailing from Australia, Canada, Poland, the UK, the US, and their Palestinian colleagues.

The review, released on Friday, found that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not adhere to proper procedures and made errors in identification and decision-making.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated that the Australian government would “press for full accountability” for those responsible, which could include criminal charges. “The military advocate general of Israel is still to decide on further action,” she said in a statement on Friday.

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Under international pressure, the IDF launched an internal investigation, dismissed senior officers, and admitted the strike was a “serious failure” and a “grave mistake.”

The charity team had received authorization from the Israeli military to transfer aid supplies from the coast to a warehouse. The convoy was struck in the Gazan city of Deir al-Balah because drone operators failed to follow protocol and mistakenly believed WCK’s vehicles were carrying Hamas gunmen, according to the IDF’s inquiry.

WCK founder José Andrés accused Israeli forces of targeting his aid workers “systematically, car by car.”

While WCK acknowledged the IDF’s admission of failure as a positive step, it demanded an independent investigation into the attack.

“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,” WCK said in an April statement.

“We demand the creation of an independent commission to investigate the killings of our WCK colleagues. The IDF cannot credibly investigate its own failure in Gaza.”

The Australian government appointed former Defence Force chief Mark Binskin as a special advisor for a review into the WCK workers’ deaths. Ms. Wong said Mr. Binskin would assess the “sufficiency and appropriateness of the steps taken by the Israeli government” regarding the incident.

Following the review’s release, Ms Wong stated that the Australian government would implement Mr. Binskin’s recommendations, including calls for Israel to improve coordination with humanitarian organizations.

The IDF also indicated that it had formally reprimanded three commanders responsible for the strikes and that those who carried out the attack could face criminal prosecution. Ms. Wong noted that Israel is still in the process of determining accountability.

“Our expectation remains that there be transparency about the military advocate general’s process and decision,” she added.

According to the United Nations, more than 250 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023.

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