Washington, D.C. – The United States has called on Israel to "immediately rectify" its conduct following a shooting incident involving a United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) aid convoy in Gaza. The demand comes after Israel admitted responsibility for the incident, which occurred on Tuesday evening and was attributed to a communication error between Israeli army units.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller highlighted the critical need for the protection of humanitarian workers. "Humanitarian workers are there to help innocent civilians, and Israel must ensure they are protected," Miller emphasized in a statement on X. The US Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, confirmed that Jerusalem had informed Washington that the shots were fired due to a miscommunication within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
During a UN Security Council meeting on Gaza, Wood reiterated the call for immediate correction. "We have urged them to immediately rectify the issues within their system," he said.
As of Friday afternoon, the IDF and other Israeli officials had not issued a formal comment on the incident. On Wednesday, the WFP announced the suspension of employee movements across Gaza after one of its clearly marked vehicles was struck by at least 10 bullets near the Wadi Gaza bridge. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
In a separate development, the IDF reported targeting a group of gunmen who had hijacked an aid convoy in southern Gaza. The convoy, coordinated by the American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) organization, entered the Rafah area with coordination from the IDF. The IDF claimed that armed men had taken control of a vehicle at the front of the convoy, leading to a strike that targeted only the hijacked vehicle. The remaining vehicles in the convoy reached their destination without further incident.
Conflicting reports from the Guardian and Washington Post suggested that five individuals were killed in the strike, though it remains unclear if they were gunmen or civilians. Anera’s Palestine Country Director, Sandra Rasheed, confirmed that while an Anera employee was unharmed, several individuals working for a partner transport company were killed. "This is a shocking incident," Rasheed stated. "The convoy was coordinated and approved by Israeli authorities. Tragically, several individuals in the first vehicle of the convoy were killed."
The situation in Gaza remains highly volatile, with Israel previously criticized for targeting humanitarian convoys. In April, the IDF mistakenly targeted a World Central Kitchen aid convoy, resulting in the deaths of seven aid workers. The ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, and has caused significant destruction and displacement.
Israel also faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah. Despite the order, the operations have continued unabated.
The international community continues to watch closely as tensions in the region remain high, with ongoing calls for accountability and protection of humanitarian efforts.