'Not sorry': Israeli officer who killed international aid workers in Gaza justifies strike
The Israeli army officer who ordered a drone strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers in Gaza has said he is “not sorry” for the attack.
Colonel Nochi Mendel, who commanded the operation, told Australia’s ABC public broadcaster that he stood by the decision to strike the aid convoy on 1 April 2024.
The seven workers killed included Palestinian, British, Australian, Canadian and Polish nationals. Mendel made the remarks in an interview recorded in October 2025, according to ABC.
“I’m the commander, and I’m the one who gave the order to carry out the operation. I didn’t run away from the situation. I said I gave the order; don’t look for anyone else,” he said.
Mendel said he had not intended to kill the WCK workers, but added: “I’m not sorry for what I did.”
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He was removed from his post as chief of staff of the Israeli military’s Nahal infantry brigade after the attack.
The Israeli army said the strike resulted from a series of failures, including breaches of its rules of engagement and standard operating procedures.
No criminal investigation
Earlier this month, however, the Israeli military said it would not open a criminal investigation into the attack.
The decision was condemned by the UK, Canada and Australia.
In a joint statement, the three countries called the decision “shameful”, saying the military had provided no further explanation for its refusal to pursue a criminal investigation.
They said the decision to rule out an investigation on World Humanitarian Day was “particularly egregious”.
“The victims of this incident and their families deserve justice and accountability, and we will continue to seek answers on their behalf,” they said.
In his interview, Mendel blamed what he described as mistakes by WCK and the complexities of operating in Gaza for the deaths.
He claimed there was “an intermingling between the WCK and Hamas operatives” on the night of the strike.
“So the WCK, too - unfortunately, they aren’t really a neutral organisation. Not really an organisation you can say is innocent and completely clean,” he said.
“It had ties to Hamas,” he added.
WCK rejected the allegations as “false and outrageous”.
“This is the latest attempt to shift blame away from the IDF's [Israeli army's] own actions,” a spokesperson told ABC.
“The individual making these slanderous claims has no credibility.
“He was directly involved in the decisions that led to the 1 April strikes and was immediately removed from his post for serious failures and breaches of standard operating procedure.
“We demand truth and justice for our seven colleagues who were killed, through a full, independent investigation into the attack.”
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