Israel ‘likely to pay damages to families of dead aid workers’
‘This was not just a bad luck situation where “oops” we dropped the bomb in the wrong place’
‘The longer the war goes on the more mistakes will be made’
ISRAEL is expected to offer compensation to the families of the aid workers killed in Gaza after completing its investigation into their deaths.
The official report, which could be made public within days, is thought to blame the deaths of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers – including three Britons – on an intelligence failure, according to a military source.
The report is being conducted by Yoav Har-even, a retired major general with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who recently stepped down as chief executive of Rafael, a weapons supplier, The Telegraph has been told.
Sources said the report will probably be presented to officials representing the countries of the victims, including Simon Walters, the United Kingdom’s ambassador to Israel.
If the report concludes – as expected – this was a tragic accident, the families will be offered compensation by the Israeli government, according to Giora Eiland, a retired IDF major general and a former head of Israel’s national security council.
Celebrity chef Jose Andres who founded WCK said yesterday that the IDF targeted his aid workers “systematically, car by car”.
The WCK had clear communication with the Israeli military which knew the aid workers’ movements, Mr Andres said.
“This was not just a bad luck situation where ‘oops’ we dropped the bomb in the wrong place,” he said.
“Even if we were not in coordination with the IDF, no democratic country and no military can be targeting civilians and humanitarians.”
However, Israeli officials continued to push back against accusations that the attack on the aid convoy was deliberate
The IDF chief of staff yesterday apologised for the killings, saying it was the result of a “misidentification in complex conditions”. But military sources told Haaretz newspaper that the deaths were the result of “a lack of discipline on the part of commanders in the field”.
Military sources have claimed they suspected Hamas fighters of being in a vehicle when the food convoy was struck. But reports suggest three separate missiles were fired at the vehicles, killing seven aid workers.
In a hint at what may form part of the investigation’s conclusions, a source close to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said last night: “Thought they’d spotted guys with guns. One car then broke away which they thought was terrorists.”
The family of killed British aid worker, John Chapman, 57, described the circumstances of his death as an “inhumane act” .
The family of Mr Chapman, who served in the Royal Marines, said: “We are devastated to have lost John, who was killed in Gaza. He died trying to help people and was subject to an inhumane act. He was an incredible father, husband, son and brother.”
James Henderson, 33, and John Kirby, were named alongside Mr Chapman as the three British citizens that died in the strike.
Adam Mcguire, Mr Kirby’s cousin, said a representative of Buckingham Palace had been in contact to arrange for a message of condolence to be sent on behalf of the King to the family.
“It is a great comfort to know that they’re thinking of us,” Mr Mcguire, 49, a recycling manager, said.
Mr Mcguire said the family wanted answers from Israel and the British Government as to how the tragedy had been allowed to happen.
He said that as of yesterday afternoon they had received no contact whatsoever from the Israeli Government.
Mr Kirby was described by his “heartbroken” family as a “genuine gentleman” and “hero” who was driven to help “those in dire need”.
In a statement, Mr Kirby’s family, from Bristol, said: “James understood the dangers of venturing into Gaza, drawing from his experiences in the British Armed Forces, where he bravely served tours in Bosnia and Afghanistan.
“Despite the risks, his compassionate nature drove him to offer assistance to those in dire need.”
The bodies of the six foreign aid workers began the journey back to their home countries yesterday when they were transferred out of the Gaza Strip and into Egypt.
Their Palestinian driver was also killed, and his remains were handed over to his family for burial in Gaza.
The other bodies were driven into Egypt through the Rafah crossing. Major-general Eiland told The Telegraph he had conducted an investigation into the death of a British United Nations worker, killed by an IDF sniper in 2003, who claimed to have mistaken his mobile phone for a pistol.
Maj-gen Eiland said: “I made the investigation and I flew to London and I met his family and also the foreign minister.
“I presented my analysis and we admitted we made a mistake. We apologised and we paid compensation to the family.”
Israel at the time was accused of “cold blooded murder” of Iain Hook, a former British Army officer who headed up a UN operation to rebuild the Jenin refugee camp.
Yohanan Tzoreff, a former adviser to the Israeli civil administration in Gaza before the disengagement, also told The Telegraph compensation was likely. “It is highly possible that Israel as a state, not the army, will offer compensation because Israel has to show that was a mistake, and we’re ready to pay the price for it,” he said.
He said that the “longer the war goes on, the more mistakes will be made”, and that IDF units were under significant pressure in a “chaotic environment”.
He added: “Nobody in Israel has any intention of killing innocent people – let alone those coming in to provide humanitarian services to civilians.”
He told The Telegraph: “We are just so sad not just for James but the other individuals that have passed away, as we said before they are all heroes in our eyes.”