Israeli general admits 'grave mistake' in striking aid workers

Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi has apologized for the strike that killed several aid workers in Gaza, claiming that the military had misidentified their target.

The Monday strike resulted in the deaths of four workers with World Central Kitchen and three members of an accompanying security team.

"It was a mistake that followed a misidentification at night, during the war, in very complex conditions. It shouldn’t have happened. The IDF works closely with the World Central Kitchen and greatly appreciates the important work that they do," Halevi said, according to the Washington Times.

"This incident was a grave mistake. Israel is at war with Hamas, not with the people of Gaza. We are sorry for the unintentional harm to the members of the WCK," he went on. "We share in the grief of the families and the entire World Central Kitchen organization from the bottom of our hearts."

WCK has since suspended operations in Gaza. Celebrity chef José Andrés, who founded the organization, has cast doubt on Israeli claims of an accident, saying Wednesday that "[t]his was not just a bad luck situation where 'oops' we dropped the bomb in the wrong place."

"This was over a 1.5, 1.8 kilometers, with a very defined humanitarian convoy that had signs in the top, in the roof, a very colorful logo that we are obviously very proud of," he went on.

Andrés has overtly accused the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to limit humanitarian aid amid the invasion of Gaza.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.