By Jacob Rampino 
Photo Credit: AP
On Monday, April 1, 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initiated strikes against a convoy operated by World Central Kitchen (WCK) in the Gaza Strip, killing all seven aid workers involved. The convoy was composed of three vehicles over a mile and a half apart, all destroyed in the strikes. The middle vehicle “was left with a gaping hole in its roof, which was clearly marked with the group’s logo.”
The WCK convoy was “closely coordinated” with the IDF via COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for approving and relaying all mission routes within Gaza, transporting one of the largest aid shipments in Gaza since the war began. Despite the coordination, Israel fired upon the convoy after it had distributed over 100 tons of food. Among those killed by the IDF were:
Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, a 25-year-old Palestinian translated and drove the convoy.
Lalzawami “Zomi” Frankcom, aged 43 from Australia.
Damian Soból, aged 35 from Poland.
Jacob Flickinger, aged 33 from both the US and Canada.
John Chapman, a 57-year-old former Royal Marine from the UK.
James Henderson, a 33-year-old former Royal Marine from the UK.
James Kirby, aged 47 from the UK.
Immediate Aftermath
Responding to the deaths of three UK citizens, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, demanding “a thorough and transparent independent investigation”. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed the call, stating that there must be an “independent, thorough and fully publicized investigation”.
Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the concerns in a video on Tuesday, stating Israel “unintentionally harmed” the aid workers, going on to say: “This happens in war. We are conducting a thorough inquiry and are in contact with the governments. We will do everything to prevent a recurrence.”
Biden’s Response
Early Friday, US President Joe Biden signaled a possible shift in US policy, threatening to condition US aid if Israel did not “announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers”.
Biden has been under increasing pressure within the Democratic Party to reduce civilian harm within Gaza as dozens of congressional Democrats, including former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, called on the administration to halt arms sales to Israel.
The war in Gaza has seen significant casualties, with approximately 33,175 dead. According to UNICEF, an estimated 13,000 of those killed were children. Among protected groups, at least 196 aid workers like those with WCK have been killed, as have 95 journalists.
This follows a United Nations Security Council resolution adopted in late March, which demanded “an immediate ceasefire” between the parties. The United States had previously vetoed three other ceasefire resolutions, and insisted the version ultimately adopted was “non-binding.”
Under Article 25 of the founding UN Charter: “Members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council”. When asked about the US claim that the resolution was non-binding, deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said “they are as binding as international law”.
Separately, in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Nicaragua accused Germany of facilitating genocide in Gaza by supplying arms to Israel. The move in early March came following a January decision in which the ICJ found South Africa’s case accusing Israel of breaching the genocide convention through its actions in Gaza to be “plausible”.
Germany provided 30% of Israel’s military purchases in 2023, totaling $326 million. The United States currently provides $3.8 billion yearly in military aid to Israel. Unlike Germany, the US cannot be brought before the ICJ under the genocide convention without approval due to a reservation it declared upon ratification, requiring “the specific consent of the United States”.
Investigation
Following immense international pressure, the IDF promised an investigation conducted by “an independent, professional and expert body”.
On Friday, however, the IDF published the conclusions of an internal investigation, withholding the full report from the public. According to the interim findings, COGAT sent the details of the WCK convoy to the IDF’s Southern Command, at which point the details of the convoy were lost “somewhere” within the chain of command.
According to the internal investigation, due to the miscommunication, the drone pilots responsible for overseeing the convoy were not read into the details of the operation. Drone operators later misclassified the aid workers as Hamas targets when several gunmen were said to have been identified with the convoy by the IDF.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had received the report and was “reviewing it very carefully”.
This is not the first time COGAT has allegedly mishandled the dissemination of mission details. In early March, the New York Times reported on incidents where pre-approved telecommunications repairs saw Palestinian technicians fired upon by Israeli tanks. During another coordinated mission, several technicians were blindfolded, zip-tied, and held at gunpoint by Israeli soldiers before being “convinced” that the mission was approved.
Accountability
The findings ultimately resulted in the dismissal of two senior IDF officers, the reprimanding of three IDF commanders, and the suspension of the drone unit responsible for the strikes on the World Central Kitchen convoy.
Israel also responded to humanitarian concerns by announcing that the Erez checkpoint in northern Gaza would be opened to allow the flow of humanitarian aid. Erez would operate in conjunction with the already operating Kerem Shalom and Rafah checkpoints to the south.
Secretary Blinken welcomed the opening of the Erez checkpoint, but suggested the move may not be sufficient, stating “the real test is results, and that’s what we’re looking to see in the coming days and the coming months.”
By Sunday, Israel had withdrawn the majority of its troops from southern Gaza, leaving behind a single brigade in Khan Younis. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the withdrawal was in preparation for future missions, including a ground invasion of Rafah which the Biden administration has discouraged.
Although the IDF has portrayed the withdrawal as recuperation before another major offensive, a senior source in the Israeli government told Sky News that the move was closely linked to renewed ceasefire negotiations following the World Central Kitchen strikes, which “changed everything”.
What Israel or the United States choose to do next is entirely uncertain, but it appears that the killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers has increased scrutiny from President Biden. Although the US continues to sell arms to Israel under Biden’s direction, the outcome of the WCK strikes marks a shift away from the “unwavering support” once touted by the administration.