{"id":1702,"date":"2026-08-28T19:39:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T19:39:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smartmovinghome.com\/?p=1702"},"modified":"2026-08-28T19:39:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T19:39:24","slug":"israeli-commander-not-sorry-for-ordering-wck-strike-that-killed-7-aid-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smartmovinghome.com\/?p=1702","title":{"rendered":"Israeli Commander \u201cNot Sorry\u201d for Ordering WCK Strike That Killed 7 Aid Workers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<!-- begin partial\/series-card --><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p><i><span>Did you know that Truthout is a nonprofit and independently funded by readers like you? If you value what we do, please support our work with <\/span><\/i><i><span>a donation<\/span><\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/smartmovinghome.com\/?p=1700\">Dilley ICE Jail Is \u201cCommodification of Child Imprisonment,\u201d says Joaquin Castro<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Israeli commander who ordered the strike on World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers in Gaza in 2024 said that he has no regrets for the incident that sparked global outrage and worsened famine conditions in the Strip.<\/p>\n<p>Nochi Mendel, a colonel who was dismissed from his position as the chief of staff of the Nahal infantry brigade, told Australian public broadcaster <em>ABC<\/em> that he believes that the strike was justified, even though rights groups said it was a likely war crime that helped build evidence for Israel\u2019s practice of using starvation as a weapon in Gaza.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m the commander, and I\u2019m the one who gave the order to carry out the operation,\u201d said Mendel, through a translator. \u201cI\u2019m not sorry for what I did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The strike killed seven aid workers: Palestinian driver Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha; British nationals John Chapman, James Henderson, and James Kirby; Canadian-American Jacob Flickinger; Zomi Frankcom, an Australian; and Damian Sob\u00f3l, from Poland. It sparked international condemnation, highlighting Israel\u2019s practice of targeting aid workers. As of April 2026, Israel had killed 560 aid workers in Gaza amid the genocide.<\/p>\n<p>After the strike, the Israeli military said that it was \u201cconducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.\u201d Mendel and another commander on the brigade were dismissed for \u201cviolation\u201d of procedures. <\/p>\n<p>However, last week, the military announced that it was not doing a criminal probe into the commanders responsible for the incident, sparking renewed outrage. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the time of the lethal attacks, the IDF knew that our team in Gaza was unarmed and posing a threat to nobody,\u201d WCK said in response to the decision. \u201cIt had full visual clarity on our clearly marked humanitarian vehicles during the extended, multiple airstrikes. It knew our team\u2019s movements, identities and activities in advance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mendel, recounting the incident to <em>ABC<\/em>, claimed that he didn\u2019t intend to kill the WCK workers, even though he\u2019s not apologetic about the outcome. He said that the attack was justified because he found out after the strike that WCK had links to Hamas \u2014 allegations WCK said were \u201cfalse and outrageous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the latest attempt to shift blame away from the IDF\u2019s own actions,\u201d a WCK spokesperson said. \u201cThe individual making these slanderous claims has no credibility.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, even in his own accounting, Mendel seems to subtly admit that he purposefully killed WCK workers.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/smartmovinghome.com\/?p=1698\">Trump Admin Eyes Deal to Give Away Yosemite Park Land to Real Estate Firm<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mendel says that he was watching the convoy move through a drone, while he was at a control center in Israel\u2019s Sde Teiman military facility. He said that he saw gunmen moving with the convoy \u2014 which the Israeli military later identified as security hired by WCK \u2014 which he said were \u201cterrorists,\u201d who were moving alongside aid workers in the vehicles.<\/p>\n<p>He said that, after the convoy stopped at a warehouse and got back on its way, he saw a person with a gun enter a car, which he described as an \u201carmed terrorist.\u201d Mendel says that the people operating from the drone base \u201cdefinitely confirm that they identified an armed terrorist in the vehicle\u201d \u2014 so he ordered the strike.<\/p>\n<p>The gun that Mendel claims he saw the person carrying turned out to be a bag. Having watched the aid workers reload at the warehouse, Mendel would have known that the vehicles in the convoy had aid workers in them. And the vehicle had a clear and large WCK logo adhered to its roof, in clear view of a drone.<\/p>\n<p>Pro-Israel figures have claimed that the strike did not violate international law because Mendel could have believed he was targeting fighters. But international law dictates that militaries must not strike civilians, and that they should refrain from attacking if there is a possibility of civilian casualties.<\/p>\n<p>Mendel says now that \u201cmaybe one\u201d or no combatants were killed in the strike. No evidence has shown that the aid workers were involved with Hamas\u2019s militant wing.<\/p>\n<p>Mendel said that his main disappointment is that he was dismissed by the Israeli military after the strike.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a matter of it being painful because you\u2019re fighting a very complex situation,\u201d he said. \u201cIn the end, in a very difficult situation, I\u2019m paying the price.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The strike ultimately bore dire consequences for Palestinians. It showed that even a highly publicized strike on aid workers would not lead to any material consequences for Israel. The Biden White House papered over the incident despite other countries\u2019 condemnations \u2014 allowing Israel to proceed with crossing President Joe Biden\u2019s \u201cred line\u201d of invading Rafah weeks later.<\/p>\n<p>It also accelerated Israel\u2019s blocking of aid into Gaza, as several aid groups announced they were pulling out of their work there as a result of the strike.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/smartmovinghome.com\/?p=1696\">Democrat Calls for Criminal Probe of RFK Jr. For Lying in Confirmation Hearing<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rights groups said it was a likely war crime that helped build evidence for Israel\u2019s practice of using starvation as a weapon in Gaza.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-human-rights"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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