TRANSCRIPT
An independent investigation by Israel into the incident that resulted in the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza, including Australian Zomi Frankcom, has concluded.
The results of the investigation had already been given to the ambassadors of the nations whose workers were involved in the incident for review.
Israeli Defence Force Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari says the attack on the aid convoy was the result of mis-identification.
"The findings of the investigation show that there were in fact a number of armed gunmen who boarded and left some of the vehicles that were identified during the course of the event. After some of the vehicles split from the others, the forces that were tracking the vehicles that went south did so thinking that these were Hamas vehicles, that Hamas gunmen had entered. This operational misidentification and misclassification was the result of internal failures that led to a critical information regarding the humanitarian operation to not go properly down to the chain of command."
Rear Admiral Hagari says the fatal errors have led to the dismissal of two officers from the Israeli military, while several others will receive disciplinary sanctions.
"The brigade fire support commander and officer with the rank of major will be dismissed from his position. The brigade chief of staff and officer with the rank of a colonel will be dismissed from his position. The brigade commander and the division commander will be formally reprimanded. Additionally, the IDF chief of the General Staff decided to formally reprimand the commander of the Southern Command for his overall responsibility for the incident."
The WCK in a statement said the action by the IDF is an important first step, but demanded the formation of an independent committee to look into the incident, pointing out that the IDF cannot credibly investigate its own failure.
The Australian government is also wants to send its own special adviser to Israel to ensure the investigation is conducted in a way that meets its own expectations.
The United Nations say since the start of the war with Gaza nearly 200 humanitarian workers have been killed.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says deeper questions need to be answered about Israel's military operation.
"The question is not only to know if some mistakes were committed and who committed them. The question is the system that allows those mistakes to happen time and time again, and it is the change of that system that is required, which implies a change in the strategy and the procedures that the military are using in Gaza."
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U-S has received Israel's findings and they will respond in coming days.
"We received Israel's report on the terrible killing of the World Central Kitchen team in Gaza a few days ago. We're reviewing it very carefully. We'll be discussing those conclusions with Israeli officials and with humanitarian organisations in the days to come. 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 making sure that steps are taken going forward to ensure that something like this can never happen again."
It comes after a phone call between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu, in which the former stressed that the U-S might have to reconsider its policy on Gaza if Israel does not change its course.
Mr Blinken says Israel needs to put the safety of the people in Gaza first.
"As Israel pursues any military operations against Hamas, it has to prioritise protection of civilians. It has to make that job number one. Too many people have been caught in this cross fire of Hamas' making-children, women, men losing their lives. Their safety has to be a priority and military operations need top be designed around their protection, not the other way around."
Israel has announced the opening of two humanitarian aid routes in Gaza.
The Erez Gate in northern Gaza is set to be opened for the first time since the start of the war, as more aid is allowed to flow in from Jordan via the Kerem Shalom Crossing in the south.
The Ashdod Port will also be opened to provide more aid deliveries.
Mr Guterres has welcomed these announcements, saying people in Gaza are in dire need of support.
"In the aftermath of this tragedy, the United Nations was informed by the Israeli government of its intention to allow a substantial increase in humanitarian aid distributed in Gaza. I sincerely hope that these announced intentions are effectively and quickly materialised because the situation in Gaza is absolutely desperate. Dramatic humanitarian conditions require a quantum leap in the delivery of life-saving aid -- a true paradigm shift."
The details of when the aid routes will open or under what conditions have yet to be made public.
