'Unforgivable': IDF opens probe after seven aid workers killed in central Gaza
An independent fact-finding body in Israel is investigating the incident, IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said.
The IDF opened an investigation after seven
international aid workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) organization were killed in an airstrike in the Deir al-Balah area of the Gaza Strip, early Tuesday morning.
According to Palestinian reports, the IDF struck a civilian car the aid workers were in on a road near the beach. Airstrikes were also reported by Palestinian media in a separate part of Deir al-Balah at around the same time.
IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari spoke with WCK founder Chef Jose Anders on Tuesday, expressing his condolences to the families of the victims and the organization.
"As a professional military committed to international law, we are committed to examining our operations thoroughly and transparently," said Hagari. "We also express sincere sorrow to our allied nations who have been doing and continue to do so much to assist those in need."
Hagari stressed that the IDF is reviewing the incident "at the highest levels" to understand what happened. "We will be opening a probe to examine this serious incident further. This will help us reduce the risk of such an event from occurring again."
The IDF spokesperson added that the incident would be investigated in the Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism: an independent, professional, and expert body.
"For the last few months, the IDF has been working closely with the World Central Kitchen to assist them in fulfilling their noble mission of helping bring food and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza," said Hagari. "WCK also came to help Israelis after the massacre of October 7th; they were one of the first NGOs here. The work of WCK is critical; they are on the frontlines of humanity. We will get to the bottom of this and we will share our findings transparently."