The World Central Kitchen drone strikes occurred on 1 April 2024, when Israeli drones targeted a three-car convoy belonging to the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in the Gaza Strip, killing seven aid workers.[1][2] The attack occurred despite the WCK having coordinated their route with the Israeli military, which both parties have acknowledged.[3][4] The workers had been overseeing the transfer of a shipment of food from a makeshift pier to a warehouse some distance away in the northern Gaza Strip, which has been pushed close to famine by Israel's invasion and blockade during the Israel–Hamas war.[5][3]
The attack occurred three days after a unanimous ICJ ruling in the ongoing genocide convention case that ordered Israel to ensure the unhindered flow of aid into Gaza.[6] The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged that their drone operators fired three missiles in five minutes at three of the WCK's cars, with some survivors of the first strike boarding the second car, which was then hit by a second missile, and some survivors of the second strike boarding the third car, which was in turn struck by a third missile.[3] All seven aid workers were killed, and their bodies were sent to Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital. They held Australian, British, Palestinian, Polish, and dual American-Canadian citizenships.[5]
Israel claimed responsibility for the killings, and its military launched an investigation into the incident, which led to the dismissal of two officers.[3] The investigation was rejected as lacking credibility by the WCK, which stated that the IDF cannot investigate its own wrongsdoings.[7] WCK founder, Spanish chef José Andrés, has said Israel attacked the convoy "systematically" and "deliberately".[8] WCK called for an independent, third-party investigation into the attacks including whether they were carried out intentionally or otherwise violated international law.[9][10]
The attack drew widespread international condemnation, including by Australia, Qatar, Ireland, Egypt, Poland, China, the European Union, and the United States.[11][12] The attack led the World Central Kitchen to pause its operations in the Gaza Strip, along with other humanitarian and aid organizations operating there.[13] Statements made by the Israeli ambassador in Poland on the incident led to a diplomatic spat between the two countries.[14] The event led to widespread allegations from political scientists, commentators, and genocide scholars that Israel is deliberately using starvation as a weapon of war, which is a war crime.[12]
There has been rhetoric by Israeli politicians against the distribution of aid in Gaza. Giora Eiland, a retired Major General, wrote that: “In order to make the siege effective, we have to prevent others from giving assistance to Gaza.”[23] His words were quoted by the South African delegation at the ICJ.[24]
Three days before the killings the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had ruled unanimously, in response to a second South African request for additional measures, that Israel must enable the unhindered flow of aid into Gaza and act "without delay" to allow the "provision... of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance".[6]. In the ruling the ICJ said Gaza was "no longer facing only a risk of famine" but "famine is setting in" and that, according to UN observers, 31 people, including 27 children, had already died of malnutrition and dehydration.[6]
Two days before the drone strikes, a car of the WCK was hit by an IDF sniper. The WCK filed a complaint with Israel over this incident and demanded guaranteeing safety of their workers.[25]
Incident
On 1 April 2024, targeted Israeli drone strikes killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers, who were travelling in three of the WCK's cars in the Gaza Strip.[1][2] Sky News estimates that the strikes occurred between 10.30 and 11 pm.,[26] Since the wreckages of the cars were around 2.5 km (1.6 mi) apart, The Washington Post reported that this indicated that some of the cars were able to continue driving after the attack began, and Financial Times concluded that the cars were "hit separately".[27][28]
World Central Kitchen said that it had coordinated its movements with the Israeli Defense Force when the convoy was hit.[29] WCK said the strike occurred in spite of vehicle logos and "coordinating movements" with Israeli forces in the "deconflicted zone".[30]
Haaretz described that after a drone missile hit one World Central Kitchen car, some of this car's passengers boarded another World Central Kitchen car, which "continued to drive and even notified the people responsible that they were attacked, but, seconds later", this car was also hit by a drone missile; finally the third car picked up some of the wounded from the second car, then a third drone missile struck the third car.[25]
Victims
Seven people were killed, they were recovered by the Palestine Red Crescent Society in a "challenging operation" and taken to Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah.[31] The victims were seen wearing protective gear showing the charity's logo. They were taken to Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in southern Gaza to be evacuated to Egypt.[32][33]
Among the seven World Central Kitchen aid workers were confirmed British, Australian, Polish, Palestinian and dual American-Canadian nationals.[5][22][34] The three British victims worked for Solace Global, a security company based in Poole, Dorset, England.[35]
The casualties included:
Saif Abu Taha (Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha), a 26-year-old Palestinian local from Rafah, who had worked as a driver for WCK since the start of the year.[33][36]
Lalzawmi "Zomi" Frankcom, a 43-year-old Australian national.[39][36]
James Henderson, a 33-year-old British national who had served in the Royal Marines, he was a private security contractor with Solace Global.[36][40]
John Antony Chapman, a 57-year-old British national who had served in the Royal Marines, he was a private security contractor with Solace Global.[36][40]
James Kirby, a 47-year-old British national.[41] He was a former soldier and a private security contractor with Solace Global.[36]
The Israeli government quickly accepted responsibility for the strike,[43] with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying it was "unintentional".[44]
On 5 April, edited footage of the attack was shown to reporters, but it did not show the moment the convoy was struck. The complete video has not been released publicly.[45]
Bellingcat analyzed the car wreckage and concluded that the vehicles bore "the hallmarks of a precision strike by inert or low-yield missiles", thus confirming that an "Israeli airstrike" was responsible as "only the IDF has the capability to conduct" precision strikes in the local area.[46] The first targeted car was geolocated at 31.4118, 34.3231;[coord 1] while the second was geolocated 800 meters (0.5 mi) away at 31.4168, 34.3290;[coord 2] and the third at 31.4005, 34.3115[coord 3] around 1,600 meters (1.0 mi) away from the first vehicle.[46] The first two locations of the vehicles were on a road identified by the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as being an "Accessible Road for Humanitarian Aid," while the third was in a field immediately next to this road.[46] Bellingcat further concluded that it was "likely" that the World Central Kitchen markings on at least one of the car roofs "would have been visible from above when the strike was carried out" depending on the imaging capabilities of the system used.[46]
Al-Jazeera Sanad analyzed "open-source information, witness testimonies, and images from the site", concluding that the Israeli Defense Forces' attacks were "intentional", having "targeted three vehicles belonging to WCK, one at a time", with the damage to the second and third cars "suggesting that the cars were targeted from the air".[47] The WCK markings on the cars led Al-Jazeera Sanad to conclude that WCK "were in compliance and there had been prior coordination between WCK and the Israeli army about the movements".[47] An eyewitness to the first strike, Hasan al-Shorbagi, said that the injured from the first strike were transferred to a second armoured car to continue travelling.[47]
The BBC cited two weapons experts analyzing the car wreckages to conclude that the cars were likely struck by drone missiles.[48] The BBC's own analysis of the distance between the three vehicles indicated that multiple strikes occurred.[48] The BBC's assessment, based on drone footage presented by the IDF, was that the stickers on the roof of the World Central Kitchen vehicles, with the charity's logo, were likely not visible to the drone operator at night.[3]
CNN reported that the Israeli attack "appears to have consisted of multiple precision strikes", citing a weapons researcher stating that the result "seems consistent with munitions deployed" by drones.[49]
Haaretz quoted one Israeli defense source as saying that "the units in the field decide to launch attacks without any preparation, in cases that have nothing to do with protecting our forces."[25] Further citing Israeli defense sources, Haaretz reported that the destroyed cars "were clearly marked on the roof and sides" as belonging to the World Central Kitchen, and had "travelled along a route preapproved and coordinated with the IDF", but "the war room of the unit responsible for security of the route ordered the drone operators to attack", due to "suspicion that a terrorist was travelling with the convoy"; the supposed terrorist was "an armed man" in the aid truck being escorted by the cars to a food warehouse in Deir al-Balah; the cars had left the aid truck behind at the warehouse, and the "armed man did not leave the warehouse", but Israeli strikes from an Elbit Hermes 450 drone were still ordered on the cars.[25]
IDF investigation
The IDF investigation was led by Major General (ret.) Yoav Har-Even and on 4 April 2024 reported their initial investigatory findings regarding the incident.[3] The IDF admitted that the WCK did coordinate their plans for the night with the IDF, but claimed that internally within the IDF, these plans were not communicated to the IDF's operational forces.[3][4] The IDF claimed that before the incident, the WCK cars had escorted an aid truck that had a gunman on its roof that fired a gun.[3] The IDF then claimed to have responded but contacting the WCK but were unable to directly contact the WCK aid workers in the cars, with BBC News commenting that in the Gaza Strip, "phone communication is patchy and aid agencies say they are prohibited by the IDF from using radios".[3] A second gunman was spotted at the warehouse joining the first gunman, leading to the drone operators assuming that they were of Hamas, claimed the IDF.[50] When the WCK cars left the aid truck at the warehouse, the IDF claimed that one other car that contained gunmen also left the warehouse, but in a different direction compared to the WCK cars.[3] As a result, according to the IDF, the IDF drone operators believed that the WCK cars were being used by Hamas militants, and further suspected that they saw a person entering a WCK car with "a rifle but at the end of the day it was a bag", in a "misclassification".[3] The IDF claimed that the drone operators believed that the WCK aid workers had remained at the warehouse with the aid truck, instead of leaving in the cars.[50] The IDF additionally claimed that the drone operators could not see the WCK cars' markings at night, with BBC News commenting that the "drone footage also appears to confirm that".[3]
Hence, according to the IDF, its drone operators fired three missiles at the WCK's cars, destroying the cars one by one between 23:09 to 23:13, despite two surviving aid workers of the first strike boarding the second car, which was then hit by a second missile, and some survivors of the second strike boarding the third car, which was in turn struck by a third missile; with the result being that all seven aid workers were killed by the IDF strikes.[3][51] The IDF claimed that an IDF colonel and an IDF major approved the order for a drone attack with no military lawyer present, but the second strike was done with no updated approval.[50] The IDF investigatory result was that while "there was no information on gunmen in the second and third vehicles, they too were attacked, within minutes of each other, for no real reason ... The attack on the three vehicles was carried out in serious violation of the relevant orders and instructions."[52] The IDF has dismissed a major who led the fire support team, as well as a colonel who was a brigade chief of staff.[3] The IDF also reprimanded the Southern Command divisional commander, brigade commander and general in charge.[3]
WCK rejected the IDF's investigation as lacking credibility, with the WCK’s founder, José Andrés, saying in a statement that: "The IDF cannot credibly investigate its own failure in Gaza. It's not enough to simply try to avoid further humanitarian deaths, which have now approached close to 200. All civilians need to be protected, and all innocent people in Gaza need to be fed and safe. And all hostages must be released."[7]
The Guardian reported that the investigation was hurriedly completed and that it had failed to answer important questions including why Israeli commanders violated their military's operational rules, and why the soldiers were unaware that humanitarian cars were operating in the area with Israeli permission. It further added that the investigation's findings will likely to renew skepticism over the Israeli military's decision-making processes, as aid groups, human rights organisations and Palestinians have repeatedly accused Israel of reckless firing, which Israel denies.[7]
Aftermath
Effects on humanitarian efforts in Gaza
Humanitarian and aid organizations operating in the Gaza Strip suspended their operations after the attack.[13] Among them are Anera and Project Hope with Anera's media relations officer Steve Fake stating that “The blatant nature of the attack on WCK’s convoy has proven that aid workers are currently under attack,”.[53] Due to the strike, WCK aid ships going to Gaza, carrying 240 tons of aid have returned to Cyprus, citing safety concerns.[54]
Reaction from the bereaved families
The family of Zomi Frankcom has called for an investigation and possible charges of war crimes.[55] The parents of Jacob Flickinger called his death a "crime", they rejected Israel's apology, requested an independent investigation and for the US to cease providing military aid to Israel while they use "food as a weapon".[56] James Henderson's brother said that the killings of people on a humanitarian mission was "inexcusable". "Accountability is the only hope of justice I have", he said. "I don't believe our government will hold the correct people to account, but I guarantee that our government will sell weapons to Israel, which may in turn be used to kill our fellow citizens. "It's hard to comprehend that."[57]
Diplomatic fallout
Israel's ambassador to Poland Yacov Livne, a few hours after the shelling of the WCK convoy, made several posts on social media, rejecting accusations of committing a war crime made by Deputy Speaker of the Polish Sejm Krzysztof Bosak.[58][59] He also recalled an incident in the Polish Sejm when Bosak's party MP Grzegorz Braun extinguished Hanukkah menorah.[59] The ambassador wrote that the "extreme right and left in Poland" were accusing Israel of "intentional murder in the attack."[58] He ended his statement by saying that anti-Semites will always remain anti-Semites.[59] The ambassador's statement sparked outrage. Polish President Andrzej Duda described it as "not very fortunate and, in short, outrageous," while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he did not approve of the way the ambassador spoke about the shelling of the convoy and that he expected words of apology.[59] The ambassador was summoned to the Polish Foreign Ministry on 5 April 2024, where he met with Deputy Minister Andrzej Szejna.[60] According to the deputy minister, Ambassador Livne apologized for the incident.[60]
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong spoke with their equivalents in Israel following the attack. Albanese told Netanyahu that Australians were outraged by the death of an Australian citizen in the attack.[61] Albanese later stated that he regarded Netanyahu's description of the attack as being "unintentional" and "something that happens in war" as unsatisfactory.[62] On 5 April the Australian Government stated that the Israeli government "hasn't yet satisfied" its expectations for an investigation, and that it would appoint a special adviser with responsibility for ensuring that the investigation meets Australia's expectations. The Australian Government has also stated that all evidence relating to the attack must be preserved.[62] On 6 April Wong stated that she and Minister for Defence Richard Marles had written to their Israeli equivalents calling for further action to be taken against the individuals responsible for the attack.[63]
Reactions
World Central Kitchen
José Andrés (left), founder of the World Central Kitchen, seen here in 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
José Andrés, the founder of the World Central Kitchen charity, wrote that: "I am heartbroken and grieving for their families and friends and our whole WCK family. These are people … angels … I served alongside in Ukraine, Gaza, Turkey, Morocco, Bahamas, Indonesia. They are not faceless … they are not nameless."[22] He called on Israel to stop "indiscriminate killing," continuing that "It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon."[64]
In a separate statement Andrés said: "The air strikes on our convoy were not just some unfortunate mistake in the fog of war. It was a direct attack on clearly marked vehicles whose movements were known by the IDF."[65] Andrés made another video statement in which he accused the IDF of systematically and deliberately targeting aid workers with the intention of killing every one in the convoy. He demanded a neutral entity above the IDF conduct the investigation.[66]
WCK chief executive Erin Gore said in a statement: "This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable."[67] Gore continued: "We — World Central Kitchen and the world — lost beautiful lives today because of a targeted attack by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)."[28]
Israel
An Israeli military source told army radio that the attack was "the worst Israel has seen in the war."[67] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the attack as a tragic incident where Israeli forces unintentionally hit innocent people.[68] The IDF said in a statement that it is "conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident."[69] The IDF eventually took responsibility and apologized, saying that the Israeli attack was "a mistake that followed a misidentification, at night".[70]
Hamas
Hamas condemned the drone strikes in a statement and urged the international community to take action: "This crime once again confirms that the occupation continues its policy of deliberate killing of innocent civilians, international relief teams, and humanitarian organizations, in its efforts to terrorize those working in them and prevent them from carrying out their humanitarian duties."[69]
Australia − Prime minister Anthony Albanese described the death of Australian national Zomi Frankcom as "completely unacceptable", and that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) had requested an explanation from the Israeli ambassador.[39] DFAT stated that it was seeking from the Israeli government "a thorough and expeditious review".[72]
Belgium − Foreign minister Hadja Lahbib stated that "Aid workers do essential work and must be protected, just like civilians," also adding that "too many of them are victims of the conflict in Gaza".[73]
Canada − Foreign minister Mélanie Joly called for a full investigation into the attack.[74]
China − China said it was "shocked" and denounced the Israeli attack; Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stated that "China opposes all acts that harm civilians, damage civilian facilities, and violate international law,"[75]
Cyprus − The Foreign Ministry called for a "swift and conclusive" investigation and said that international and humanitarian law is "absolute,"[22] adding that "Humanitarian aid workers must always be respected and protected."[76]
Egypt − The Foreign Ministry stated that the killings were "blatant" violations of international law and called for a full investigation into the attack.[77]
European Union − EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said: "I condemn the attack and urge an investigation. Despite all the demands to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, we see new innocent casualties." He continued: "This shows that the [UN Security Council] resolution asking for an immediate ceasefire, full humanitarian access and a reinforced protection of civilians must be immediately implemented."[28]Janez Lenarčič, the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, tweeted: "I condemn yet another deadly attack on humanitarian workers in #Gaza. This must stop. Now. #ceasefire"[78]
Ireland − Foreign and defense minister Micheál Martin said that he was "Appalled by the deaths of humanitarian workers in an Israeli strike, killed providing life-saving aid to the people of Gaza."[79]
Islamic Relief − The humanitarian group condemned the attack and said that it is "outraged by yet another deadly attack on humanitarian workers".[80]
Norwegian Refugee Council − secretary general Jan Egeland shared his condolences over the killings, stating that "Nowhere else are so many aid workers killed,".[81]
Poland − President Andrzej Duda expressed his feelings of deep sorrow over the death of the volunteers, and also stated that "this tragedy should never have happened and must be investigated".[82] Foreign minister Radosław Sikorski expressed condolences for the Polish citizen's death, and said that he personally asked for "urgent explanations" from the Israeli ambassador.[34] The Israel's ambassador to Poland was summoned to the Polish Foreign Ministry for a series of controversial responses against the accusations of the drone strikes. (See #Diplomatic fallout section.) The Polish side demanded the ambassador to participate in the Przemyśl district prosecutor's office for the investigation, full access to information, and the payment of compensation to Soból's family.[60] Poland also called for respect for the March 25 UN Security Council resolution, which calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and for humanitarian convoys to Gaza not to be blocked.[60]
Qatar − The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it "strongly condemns" the attack and considers it as a "shocking crime, in violation of international and humanitarian laws".[83]
Spain − Prime minister Pedro Sánchez said he was "expecting and demanding an explanation from the Israeli government" for the deaths of the seven aid workers. Prior to that, he tweeted he was "horrified" by the attacks.[84] After the explanations given by the IDF and Prime Minister Netanyahu, Sánchez deemed them "completely unacceptable and insufficient".[85]
United Arab Emirates − The Foreign Ministry condemned the deaths of the seven people, held Israel responsible and called for an investigation into the attack.[86] The UAE also paused their aid to Gaza after the attack.[87]
Scotland − First minister Humza Yousaf called for an immediate end to arms sales from the UK to Israel, saying "The civilian death toll is intolerable, as is the killing of humanitarian workers who deliver vital aid to Palestinians facing starvation and violence at the hands of this Israeli government. By not stopping arms sales to Israel, the UK is in danger of being complicit in the killing of innocent civilians."[90]
United States − President Joe Biden condemned the attack, saying that he was "outraged and heartbroken", criticizing Israel for having "not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians", while stating that the "United States has repeatedly urged Israel to deconflict their military operations against Hamas with humanitarian operations, in order to avoid civilian casualties".[91]
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Australia − Prime minister Anthony Albanese described the death of Australian national Zomi Frankcom as "completely unacceptable", and that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) had requested an explanation from the Israeli ambassador.[39] DFAT stated that it was seeking from the Israeli government "a thorough and expeditious review".[72]
Belgium − Foreign minister Hadja Lahbib stated that "Aid workers do essential work and must be protected, just like civilians," also adding that "too many of them are victims of the conflict in Gaza".[73]
Canada − Foreign minister Mélanie Joly called for a full investigation into the attack.[74]
China − China said it was "shocked" and denounced the Israeli attack; Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stated that "China opposes all acts that harm civilians, damage civilian facilities, and violate international law,"[75]
Cyprus − The Foreign Ministry called for a "swift and conclusive" investigation and said that international and humanitarian law is "absolute,"[22] adding that "Humanitarian aid workers must always be respected and protected."[76]
Egypt − The Foreign Ministry stated that the killings were "blatant" violations of international law and called for a full investigation into the attack.[77]
European Union − EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said: "I condemn the attack and urge an investigation. Despite all the demands to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, we see new innocent casualties." He continued: "This shows that the [UN Security Council] resolution asking for an immediate ceasefire, full humanitarian access and a reinforced protection of civilians must be immediately implemented."[28] Janez Lenarčič, the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, tweeted: "I condemn yet another deadly attack on humanitarian workers in #Gaza. This must stop. Now. #ceasefire"[78]
Ireland − Foreign and defense minister Micheál Martin said that he was "Appalled by the deaths of humanitarian workers in an Israeli strike, killed providing life-saving aid to the people of Gaza."[79]
Poland − President Andrzej Duda expressed his feelings of deep sorrow over the death of the volunteers, and also stated that "this tragedy should never have happened and must be investigated".[82] Foreign minister Radosław Sikorski expressed condolences for the Polish citizen's death, and said that he personally asked for "urgent explanations" from the Israeli ambassador.[34] The Israel's ambassador to Poland was summoned to the Polish Foreign Ministry for a series of controversial responses against the accusations of the drone strikes. (See #Diplomatic fallout section.) The Polish side demanded the ambassador to participate in the Przemyśl district prosecutor's office for the investigation, full access to information, and the payment of compensation to Soból's family.[60] Poland also called for respect for the March 25 UN Security Council resolution, which calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and for humanitarian convoys to Gaza not to be blocked.[60]
Qatar − The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it "strongly condemns" the attack and considers it as a "shocking crime, in violation of international and humanitarian laws".[83]
Spain − Prime minister Pedro Sánchez said he was "expecting and demanding an explanation from the Israeli government" for the deaths of the seven aid workers. Prior to that, he tweeted he was "horrified" by the attacks.[84] After the explanations given by the IDF and Prime Minister Netanyahu, Sánchez deemed them "completely unacceptable and insufficient".[85]
United Arab Emirates − The Foreign Ministry condemned the deaths of the seven people, held Israel responsible and called for an investigation into the attack.[86] The UAE also paused their aid to Gaza after the attack.[87]
United Kingdom − Foreign minister David Cameron called on Israel to provide a transparent explanation for the attack,[88] while Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was "shocked and saddened" by the killing of at least one British volunteer during the attack.[79] The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office summoned the Israeli ambassador.[89]
Scotland − First minister Humza Yousaf called for an immediate end to arms sales from the UK to Israel, saying "The civilian death toll is intolerable, as is the killing of humanitarian workers who deliver vital aid to Palestinians facing starvation and violence at the hands of this Israeli government. By not stopping arms sales to Israel, the UK is in danger of being complicit in the killing of innocent civilians."[90]
United States − President Joe Biden condemned the attack, saying that he was "outraged and heartbroken", criticizing Israel for having "not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians", while stating that the "United States has repeatedly urged Israel to deconflict their military operations against Hamas with humanitarian operations, in order to avoid civilian casualties".[91]
Vatican City − Pope Francis condemned the attack by Israel and called for peace in Gaza and Ukraine.[11][92]
