Israeli military practice linked to killing of 7 WCK aid workers in Gaza

An investigation by The Guardian suggests that the killing of seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza in April 2024 was linked to a military practice known as “guilt by association” or “criminalization.”

The strike targeted three clearly marked WCK vehicles following a food aid delivery. The victims included three British nationals, an Australian, a Palestinian, a Pole, and a dual US-Canadian citizen. While the Israeli military officially attributed the incident to specific errors by a few officers and cited the use of armed guards and route deviations, the investigation points to a broader systemic issue.

Interviews with senior Israeli officers indicate that field commanders use a practice called “haflala” (criminalization), which allows them wide discretion to designate individuals as legitimate targets based on proximity, conversation, or presence near suspected militants. Reserve Colonel Nochi Mandel, who ordered the strikes, stated that the WCK workers became potential targets after a brief encounter with guards he assumed were Hamas members—an assumption later found to be baseless. Mandel noted that mere proximity or interaction could justify such a classification, stating that the workers were “not innocent because they were connected to Hamas.”

Officers involved noted that the strikes were not conducted due to an imminent threat to Israeli soldiers, but rather as part of a broader mission to prevent Hamas from controlling aid distribution.