The Israeli commander who ordered the 2024 drone strikes that killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers in Gaza has defended his decision, saying he does not regret authorising the attack.
"I'm not sorry for what I did," Col. Nochi Mendel, who was dismissed as chief of staff of the Israeli army's Nahal Brigade following the attack, told Australia's public broadcaster ABC News.
The interview was broadcast on Thursday after an Israeli military decision not to launch a criminal investigation or take further action against those involved.
Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, 43, and six colleagues were killed on April 1, 2024, when Israeli drones struck three clearly marked WCK vehicles travelling in a coordinated humanitarian convoy in central Gaza.
The vehicles were hit separately over four minutes as survivors attempted to flee between cars.
Disputed claims
Mendel claimed drone footage showed armed Palestinians near a warehouse in central Gaza and that an armed man entered one of the vehicles.
Asked whether any armed individuals were killed, Mendel said: "Maybe one, or maybe none."
The Israeli military initially termed the attack a "grave mistake" caused by misidentification, later acknowledging that what soldiers' thought was a weapon was actually a bag.
An Australian investigation led by former air force chief Mark Binskin revealed that senior Israeli commanders had refused an earlier strike request by Mendel due to the proximity of the aid convoy, and that the attack breached a divisional order prohibiting further strikes near humanitarian vehicles that night.
The inquiry also disproved Mendel’s claim regarding route changes, confirming the decision to strike had already been taken before the convoy changed direction.
WCK rejected Mendel's allegations of links to Hamas as "false and outrageous," accusing him of attempting to deflect responsibility from the Israeli military whilst renewing calls for a full, independent inquiry.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reiterated demands for an independent investigation, as Frankcom's family criticised the Israeli military for withholding audio recordings between drone operators and commanders.
