‘GRAVE INCIDENT’

Israel Dismisses 2 Officers Over Drone Killings of Aid Workers in Gaza

The CEO of the food aid nonprofit said the military’s apologies provided “cold comfort.”

The Israeli military on Friday said it has dismissed two officers following an investigation into the killing of seven humanitarian aid workers in Gaza earlier this week, calling the attack a “grave incident” that “should not have occurred.” The workers with World Central Kitchen (WCK) died Monday when their convoy of three vehicles was attacked, prompting international outrage. The IDF’s investigation found that a colonel authorized the killing drone strikes based on one major’s observations from grainy drone-camera images that appeared to show one person in the convoy was armed. Military officials, who explained that targets are supposed to be visually identified as threats for several reasons before they can be attacked, say the observation proved to be incorrect. The colonel and major were dismissed while three other officers were reprimanded. WCK CEO Erin Gore said in a statement that the IDF’s apologies are “cold comfort for the victims’ families and WCK’s global family,” adding that Israel needs to take “concrete steps to assure the safety of humanitarian aid workers.”