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Israeli Commander 'Not Sorry' for Deadly WCK Strike
(MENAFN) The Israeli commander who ordered the 2024 drone strikes that killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers in Gaza has defended his decision, saying he harbors no regret over authorizing the attack.
"I'm not sorry for what I did," Col. Nochi Mendel, who was dismissed as chief of staff of the Israeli army's Nahal Brigade following the strike, told an Australia public broadcaster.
The interview was recorded in October 2025 but only surfaced Thursday, after the Israeli military decided against launching a criminal investigation or pursuing further action against those involved.
Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, 43, and six colleagues died on April 1, 2024, when Israeli drones struck three clearly marked WCK vehicles traveling together in a coordinated humanitarian convoy through central Gaza. The three vehicles were hit separately over a span of four minutes as survivors scrambled to move from one car to another.
Mendel claimed drone footage showed armed Palestinians mixing with WCK personnel near a warehouse in central Gaza, and that an armed man was later seen entering one of the vehicles. He said drone operators stationed at Palmachim air base had confirmed the alleged presence of an armed man before he gave the order to strike.
Asked whether any armed Palestinians were actually killed in the attack, Mendel replied: "Maybe one, or maybe none."
The Israeli army initially called the strike a "grave mistake," attributing it to misidentification of the convoy's occupants. It later walked back claims that a person entering one of the vehicles was carrying a weapon, saying the object was in fact a bag.
An Australian investigation led by former air force chief Mark Binskin found that senior Israeli commanders had rejected an earlier request from Mendel and another officer to strike vehicles near the warehouse, citing their proximity to the humanitarian convoy. The inquiry further found the strikes went ahead despite explicit orders from a divisional commander barring further attacks near humanitarian convoys that night.
Mendel alleged the WCK vehicles had strayed from a route previously coordinated with the Israeli military. But the Australian inquiry determined the decision to strike had already been finalized before the convoy changed direction — meaning the route change could not have factored into the authorization.
WCK rejected Mendel's claims linking the organization to Hamas as "false and outrageous," accusing him of trying to deflect blame from the Israeli army. The organization renewed its call for a full, independent investigation into the deaths of its personnel.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has likewise demanded Israel commission an independent probe, while Frankcom's family has criticized the Israeli military for refusing to release recordings of communications between the drone operators and their commanders.
"I'm not sorry for what I did," Col. Nochi Mendel, who was dismissed as chief of staff of the Israeli army's Nahal Brigade following the strike, told an Australia public broadcaster.
The interview was recorded in October 2025 but only surfaced Thursday, after the Israeli military decided against launching a criminal investigation or pursuing further action against those involved.
Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, 43, and six colleagues died on April 1, 2024, when Israeli drones struck three clearly marked WCK vehicles traveling together in a coordinated humanitarian convoy through central Gaza. The three vehicles were hit separately over a span of four minutes as survivors scrambled to move from one car to another.
Mendel claimed drone footage showed armed Palestinians mixing with WCK personnel near a warehouse in central Gaza, and that an armed man was later seen entering one of the vehicles. He said drone operators stationed at Palmachim air base had confirmed the alleged presence of an armed man before he gave the order to strike.
Asked whether any armed Palestinians were actually killed in the attack, Mendel replied: "Maybe one, or maybe none."
The Israeli army initially called the strike a "grave mistake," attributing it to misidentification of the convoy's occupants. It later walked back claims that a person entering one of the vehicles was carrying a weapon, saying the object was in fact a bag.
An Australian investigation led by former air force chief Mark Binskin found that senior Israeli commanders had rejected an earlier request from Mendel and another officer to strike vehicles near the warehouse, citing their proximity to the humanitarian convoy. The inquiry further found the strikes went ahead despite explicit orders from a divisional commander barring further attacks near humanitarian convoys that night.
Mendel alleged the WCK vehicles had strayed from a route previously coordinated with the Israeli military. But the Australian inquiry determined the decision to strike had already been finalized before the convoy changed direction — meaning the route change could not have factored into the authorization.
WCK rejected Mendel's claims linking the organization to Hamas as "false and outrageous," accusing him of trying to deflect blame from the Israeli army. The organization renewed its call for a full, independent investigation into the deaths of its personnel.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has likewise demanded Israel commission an independent probe, while Frankcom's family has criticized the Israeli military for refusing to release recordings of communications between the drone operators and their commanders.
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