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Israeli Commander "Not Sorry" for Strikes That Killed 7 WCK Aid Workers
(MENAFN) The Israeli commander who ordered the 2024 drone strikes that killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers in Gaza has stood by his decision, saying he harbors no regret over authorizing the attack.
"I'm not sorry for what I did," Col. Nochi Mendel — dismissed as chief of staff of the Israeli army's Nahal Brigade following the strikes — told an Australian public broadcaster.
The interview was recorded in October 2025 but published Thursday, following an Israeli military decision not to pursue a criminal investigation or take 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 struck separately over the course of four minutes as survivors tried to flee from one car to another.
Mendel claimed drone footage showed armed Palestinians mingling with WCK personnel near a warehouse in central Gaza, and that an armed man was later seen entering one of the vehicles. He said personnel operating the drone from 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 among those killed, Mendel said: "Maybe one, or maybe none."
The Israeli army initially called the attack a "grave mistake" stemming from misidentification of the convoy's occupants, later clarifying that what soldiers believed was a weapon carried by someone entering one of the vehicles was in fact a bag.
An Australian investigation led by former air force chief Mark Binskin found that senior Israeli commanders had denied an earlier request from Mendel and another officer to strike vehicles near the warehouse, citing their closeness to the humanitarian convoy. The inquiry further found that the strikes went ahead despite a divisional commander's explicit order that no further attacks occur near humanitarian convoys that night.
Mendel alleged the WCK vehicles had strayed from a route pre-coordinated with the Israeli military. But the Australian inquiry determined the decision to strike had already been made before the convoy altered course — meaning the change in direction could not have factored into the authorization.
WCK dismissed Mendel's claims linking the organization to Hamas as "false and outrageous," accusing him of trying to deflect blame from the Israeli army. The group renewed its call for a full, independent investigation into the killing of its staff.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has likewise pressed Israel to commission an independent probe, while Frankcom's family has criticized the Israeli military for withholding recordings of communications between the drone operators and their commanders.
"I'm not sorry for what I did," Col. Nochi Mendel — dismissed as chief of staff of the Israeli army's Nahal Brigade following the strikes — told an Australian public broadcaster.
The interview was recorded in October 2025 but published Thursday, following an Israeli military decision not to pursue a criminal investigation or take 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 struck separately over the course of four minutes as survivors tried to flee from one car to another.
Mendel claimed drone footage showed armed Palestinians mingling with WCK personnel near a warehouse in central Gaza, and that an armed man was later seen entering one of the vehicles. He said personnel operating the drone from 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 among those killed, Mendel said: "Maybe one, or maybe none."
The Israeli army initially called the attack a "grave mistake" stemming from misidentification of the convoy's occupants, later clarifying that what soldiers believed was a weapon carried by someone entering one of the vehicles was in fact a bag.
An Australian investigation led by former air force chief Mark Binskin found that senior Israeli commanders had denied an earlier request from Mendel and another officer to strike vehicles near the warehouse, citing their closeness to the humanitarian convoy. The inquiry further found that the strikes went ahead despite a divisional commander's explicit order that no further attacks occur near humanitarian convoys that night.
Mendel alleged the WCK vehicles had strayed from a route pre-coordinated with the Israeli military. But the Australian inquiry determined the decision to strike had already been made before the convoy altered course — meaning the change in direction could not have factored into the authorization.
WCK dismissed Mendel's claims linking the organization to Hamas as "false and outrageous," accusing him of trying to deflect blame from the Israeli army. The group renewed its call for a full, independent investigation into the killing of its staff.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has likewise pressed Israel to commission an independent probe, while Frankcom's family has criticized the Israeli military for withholding recordings of communications between the drone operators and their commanders.
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