Israeli army set to dismiss officers involved in Gaza aid convoy hit

Members of the World Central Kitchen aid group, transport the body of one of the staff members who were killed in an Israeli air strike, out of the morgue of Abu Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Seven employees of the US-based aid organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip on Monday. Mohammed Talatene/dpa

The Israeli military plans to remove two officers from their posts following the fatal attack on employees of the aid organization World Central Kitchen in the Gaza Strip.

Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi has decided to dismiss a responsible commander and the chief of staff of the responsible brigade, the military announced on Friday. Media reports said other commanders had been given a warning.

An army investigation published on Friday came to the conclusion that the incident on Monday was a "serious failure" on the part of the Israeli forces. They attacked the aid convoy on the suspicion that two armed Hamas members were in a vehicle, according to the investigation.

The Israeli forces did not recognize the vehicles as belonging to the aid organization, which said they were clearly marked. The attacks on the three vehicles were carried out in "serious violation of the army's orders and standard operating procedures," the investigation's report added.

"The results of the investigation indicate that the incident should not have happened."

The incident, which killed seven aid workers including three Britons, led to renewed calls from the West for Israel to take more care with civilian lives in Gaza and even prompted some British lawmakers to demand arms sales to Israel should be suspended.

Medics and UN staff transport the body of one of the World Central Kitchen aid group staff members who were killed in an Israeli air strike, out of the morgue of Abu Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Seven employees of the US-based aid organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip on Monday. Mohammed Talatene/dpa
Members of the World Central Kitchen aid group, transports the body of one of the staff members who were killed in an Israeli air strike, out of the morgue of Abu Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Seven employees of the US-based aid organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip on Monday. Mohammed Talatene/dpa

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