Israeli Defense Minister Instructs Troops To Maintain Transparent Communications After Attacks Against Aid Convoys

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in northern Gaza. (Twitter/@yoavgallant)

JAKARTA - Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant instructed his troops on Tuesday to "maintain open and transparent communication lines" with international organizations, regarding actions taken after airstrikes killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers in the Gaza Strip.

Defense Minister Gallant also ordered that a "joint situation room" be immediately opened to coordinate the distribution of aid between the international organization and Israel's Southern Command Defense Forces (IDF), according to media statements published after he held a meeting with senior Israeli defense officials.

"Minister Gallant referred to the tragic nature of the incident and stressed the importance of conducting a thorough and professional investigation, which will be followed by the implementation of learning," the statement read.

Meanwhile, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Israeli Region (COGAT), the agency that controls access to Gaza, expressed its condolences to the "regent" WCK family who have "worked closely" with COGAT over the past few months.

"Our goal is to prevent similar incidents from happening again, to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers when they carry out their important duties," COGAT wrote on social media X.

It was previously reported that the Israeli military expressed condolences for the deaths of seven humanitarian officers from the WCK in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip, promising a transparent investigation.

"They traveled in two armored cars bearing the WCK logo and other vehicles," WCK said in a statement.

Although its movement was coordinated with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the convoy was attacked while leaving Deir al-Balah's warehouse, after lowering more than 100 tonnes of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza by sea, the WCK said.

Israeli spokesman Defense Forces (IDF) Rear Admiral Daniel huki in a English video statement said he spoke with WCK founders to extend his condolences following the attack that killed seven aid organizations.

"Last night, an incident occurred in Gaza resulting in the tragic death of World Central Kitchen employees as they carried out their important mission of feeding people in need," said Laksda kazi, quoted by The Times of Israel.

"As a professional military committed to international law, we are committed to thoroughly and transparently examining our operations," he continued.

Laksdawi said the IDF General Staff Fact Finding Assessment Mechanism, the independent military agency responsible for investigating unusual incidents in the middle of the war, would investigate what he called "serious incidents."

"This will help us reduce the risk of similar incidents happening again," he said.