Israel says killing of aid workers result of 'misidentification'

They were killed in a "targeted attack" by the Israeli military, said the statement.

03 Apr 2024 05:47pm
A pro-Palestinian demonstrator holds a sign as they call for a ceasefire in Gaza during a protest as part of the “People’s White House Ceasefire Now Iftar” outside the White House in Washington, DC, April 2, 2024. - Photo by AFP
A pro-Palestinian demonstrator holds a sign as they call for a ceasefire in Gaza during a protest as part of the “People’s White House Ceasefire Now Iftar” outside the White House in Washington, DC, April 2, 2024. - Photo by AFP
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JERUSALEM - Israel's military said Wednesday the result of a preliminary debrief into the killing of seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza was the result of "a misidentification", reported Xinhua.

"I want to be very clear - the strike was not carried out with the intention of harming WCK aid workers," Chief of the General Staff, Herzi Halevi, said in a video statement.

"It was a mistake that followed a misidentification - at night during a war in very complex conditions," he said. "It shouldn't have happened."

His statement followed calls by Israeli allies, including the United States, demanding a full and independent investigation into the incident.

According to a statement from WCK, a US-based organisation, the seven staff members - from Palestine, Australia, Poland, Britain, and one holding dual US-Canadian citizenship - were delivering aid in a convoy to famine-stricken Gaza.

They were killed in a "targeted attack" by the Israeli military, said the statement, urging Israel to stop "this indiscriminate killing" in Gaza. - BERNAMA-XINHUA