Officers sacked, drone strike findings revealed

The Israeli military has dismissed two of its officers over drone strikes that killed Australian Zomi Frankcom and six colleagues while they were delivering aid in Gaza.

In a report released on Friday (local time), the military said they had mishandled critical information and violated the army’s rules of engagement.

The inquiry found Israeli forces mistakenly believed they were attacking Hamas gunmen when drones hit the three vehicles of the World Central Kitchen aid group late on Monday night, and that standard procedures had not been followed.

“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 military said in a statement issued on Friday.

Three others were also reprimanded for their roles in the strikes on a convoy of World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers on Monday.

After publication of the findings, World Central Kitchen demanded an independent commission to investigate the incident.

The organisation said the Israeli investigation was an important step but there needed to be a systemic change to prevent “more apologies and more grieving families”.

Jose Andres, the chef who founded World Central Kitchen, said this week the seven workers had been targeted “systematically, car by car” as they scrambled to seek shelter when their vehicles were hit in succession.

“The IDF has acknowledged its responsibility and its fatal errors in the deadly attack on our convoy in Gaza,” the charity said in a statement.

“It is also taking disciplinary action against those in command and committed to other reforms. These are important steps forward.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday the United States was carefully reviewing Israel’s inquiry and would look very carefully at what steps Israel was taking.

“It’s very important that Israel is taking full responsibility for this incident.

It’s also important that it appears to be taking steps to hold those responsible accountable.

Even more important is that steps are being taken going forward to ensure that something like this can never happen again,” Blinken told reporters in Brussels.

Earlier on Friday, Israeli Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner told ABC radio the military was sorry for the “very grave mistake” and officers who were involved in the strike would face consequences.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was not good enough to describe the killings of the aid workers as “just a product of war”.