Israel draws international outrage after airstrikes kills 7 aid workers

Amna Nawaz:

Today, the Israeli military dismissed two officers and reprimanded three more senior officers it said were responsible for the killings of seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen earlier this week. The Monday attack has put even greater scrutiny on Israel's tactics in Gaza.

Geoff Bennett:

Under heavy pressure from President Biden, Israel opened three aid crossings into Gaza that it had been resisting. The president also sent letters to the leaders of Egypt and Qatar asking them to push Hamas toward a hostage deal.

Here's Nick Schifrin.

Nick Schifrin:

Israel is calling it a grave mistake, three precise hits on vehicles filled with aid workers who are trying to feed the hungry.

Today, Israel released an unusually swift investigation blaming mistaken identification, errors in decision-making and decisions contrary to the standard operating procedures. And the IDF fired the brigade fire support commander, a major, and the brigade chief of staff, a reserve colonel.

And it reprimanded more senior officers, the brigade commander, the division commander, and the Southern Command commander.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari is the top IDF spokesman.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, Spokesperson, Israeli Defense Forces:

This is a tragedy. It was a terrible chain of errors and it should never have happened.

Nick Schifrin:

The IDF says it tracked the convoy as it left the World Central Kitchen's pier. Along the coast, the IDF says an armed gunman boarded the convoy and surveillance spotted a second gunman.

Farther south, the convoy split. And that's when the IDF admits one of its commanders mistakenly assumed that Hamas gunmen remained inside the convoy.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari:

This operational misidentification and misclassification was the result of internal failures.

Nick Schifrin:

Between 11:09 and 11:13 p.m. The IDF says it launched three strikes on three vehicles separated by more than a mile, even though they rode along the coastal road designated for humanitarian workers. more than a mile, even though they rode along the coastal road designated for humanitarian workers.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari:

The soldiers conducted the strike without any awareness that these were in fact WCK vehicles. At the time, they were certain that they were targeting Hamas.

Nick Schifrin:

But the U.N. today and others say Israel's targeting problems run deeper. The war in Gaza has been the deadliest ever for humanitarian workers. The U.N. says some 200 have been killed.

Master Sgt. Wes Bryant (RET.), U.S. Air Force: We can see that this is not really an exception. It's a norm.

Nick Schifrin:

Retired Master Sergeant Wes Bryant spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, where he called in airstrikes and led targeting cells.

Master Sgt. Wes Bryant (RET.):

I think that, when you have an overall culture of what seems to be callousness and indifference towards civilian harm, disregard for international humanitarian law and an overaggressiveness, really an emotional campaign that's being waged by the IDF, the probability of these kind of targeting mistakes increases tenfold.

Nick Schifrin:

The U.S. is also pressing Israel to help alleviate what the U.N. calls looming famine. And after President Biden pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in yesterday's phone call, Israel will open three new access points for humanitarian aid in Gaza, Erez, Kerem Shalom, and the Ashdod port.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State: The real test is results. And that's what we're looking to see in the coming days and in the coming weeks.

Nick Schifrin:

Israel has blamed the U.N. for food shortfalls, but is accepting responsibility for this strike, hoping not to lose the support of its closest ally.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Nick Schifrin.