Report: 3 missiles fired at Gaza aid convoy after troops thought they saw armed terror operative on truck
An Israel Defense Forces drone fired repeatedly at a convoy of aid workers after troops thought an armed terrorist was among the group, according to an Israeli report citing unnamed security sources with knowledge of the incident that left seven staffer of US-based charity World Central Kitchen dead.
According to the Haaretz report, a Hermes 450 UAV fired three missiles at the convoy in quick succession despite the vehicles’ roofs being clearly marked as belonging to WCK. The decision was made by a unit guarding the aid transport route after troops earlier spotted what appeared to be an armed figure riding on a truck that entered an aid storage area with three WCK cars. The attack occurred moments after the three cars left the storage area, leaving the truck and the armed figure behind, according to the report.
After a missile hit one car, those inside evacuated to the other two cars, and managed to report they had been attacked before a second missile hit another car. As the last unharmed car approached to evacuate the wounded, a third missile hit. All seven people who had been in the vehicles were killed, Haaretz reports.
There is no official comment on the report.
Aid convoys often use armed security to keep trucks from being looted or cleaned out by locals clans or desperately hungry civilians.
Southern Command head Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman will present IDF chief Herzi Halevi with results of an initial probe later tonight.
According to Haaretz, Israel is dispatching officials to the countries where the foreign volunteers hailed from to present the initial findings to counterparts there.