'Grave mistake': IDF releases findings of report into deadly attack on seven aid workers

The IDF has been forced into producing a quick and thorough investigation by pressure from the international community, ITV News Senior International Correspondent John Irvine reports

The strike on World Central Kitchen vehicles which led to the deaths of seven aid workers in Gaza was "a grave mistake", the Israeli Defence Force's report into the incident has concluded.

A preliminary report into the attack by the IDF found the killings to be "in serious violation" of military procedure and confirmed several high-ranking officials have been dismissed as a result.

"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," the report said.

Three vehicles were attacked on Monday, killing three Britons alongside an American-Canadian dual citizen, and workers from Poland, Palestine and Australia.

The attacks were condemned by global leaders.

President Joe Biden said he was "outraged and heartbroken" and later warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that continued US support for Israel's war against Hamas would be dependent on protection measures for civilians and aid workers.

UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron, meanwhile, said he welcomed the "suspension of two officers as a first step", but added: "These findings must be published in full and followed up with a wholly independent review to ensure the utmost transparency and accountability."

Officers thought they were attacking 'Hamas terrorists'

The IDF said its investigation found the forces "identified a gunman" on one of the aid trucks, and then a second gunman.

A commander then "mistakenly assumed" the gunmen were located "inside the accompanying vehicles" after the vehicles left the warehouse where the aid had been unloaded.

The commander assumed those gunmen "were Hamas terrorists", according to the report.

The IDF said its forces "did not identify the vehicles in question as being associated with WCK".

"Following a misidentification by the forces, the forces targeted the three WCK vehicles based on the misclassification of the event and misidentification of the vehicles as having Hamas operatives inside them, with the resulting strike leading to the deaths of seven innocent humanitarian aid workers," the report added.

The investigation concluded "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 report said.

IDF Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner told ITV News that the killings were a "tragic incident that should not have happened and could have been prevented".

Military spokespeople said that under the Israeli army's rules of engagement, officers must have more than one reason for identifying someone as a target before they can be hit, but this investigation determined that a colonel had authorised the series of deadly drone strikes on the convoy based on one major's observation.

The observation that someone in the convoy was armed was made through grainy drone-camera footage and proved to be untrue, military officials said.

'We expect more from our officers, we expect more from our forces on the ground,' IDF Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner told ITV News

Formal dismissals of those involved

The IDF's chief of general staff has decided the brigade fire support commander - an officer with the rank of major - will be dismissed from his position, along with the brigade chief of staff - an officer with the rank of colonel in reserve.

The brigade commander and the 162nd Division commander will also "be formally reprimanded", as will the commander of the Southern Command "for his overall responsibility for the incident", the report said.

The speed of the IDF's investigation and the punishment of senior officers is highly unusual.

Human rights activists have long complained that Israeli forces operate in a climate of impunity, an allegation the military rejects.

The IDF said it takes "seriously the grave incident that claimed the lives of seven innocent humanitarian aid workers" and sent their condolences to the families of those killed, as well as WCK.

The organisation also used the statement to "emphasise its commitment" to fighting Hamas, "while upholding the values of the IDF, the laws of war, and avoiding harming civilians".

The IDF said "the vital humanitarian activity of international aid organisations" is "of utmost importance" and that it "will continue to work to coordinate and assist their activities, while ensuring their safety and safeguarding their lives."

"The IDF will learn the lessons of the incident and will incorporate them into the IDF's ongoing operations."

The number of people killed in Gaza in the last six months has now surpassed 33,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the region. Another 75,600 people are thought to have been wounded.

World Central Kitchen demands independent investigation

It is an "important step" the IDF has claimed responsibility for the attacks and the "fatal errors" it made, World Central Kitchen has said in response to the report, but it reiterated its demands for an independent investigation into the deaths.

"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 charity said in a statement.

"It is also clear from their preliminary investigation the IDF has deployed deadly force without regard to its own protocols, chain of command and rules of engagement." 

The report also makes clear that WCK did everything it should have in order to ensure that its workers were safe from attack.

"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," the statement said.

“It's not enough to simply try to avoid further humanitarian deaths, which have now approached close to 200," WCK founder José Andrés said.

"All civilians need to be protected, and all innocent people in Gaza need to be fed and safe. And all hostages must be released."

The three British nationals killed in the attack were John Chapman, 57, James "Jim" Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47.

They died alongside American-Canadian dual citizen Jacob Flickinger, 33, Australian national Lalzawmi "Zomi" Frankcom, 43, who was the leader of the relief team, Polish national Damian Sobol, 35, and Palestinian Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…