International
Israel attacked the convoy of José Andrés’ NGO by “error” believing that members of Hamas were going
Last Monday’s attack by the Israeli Army on a convoy of the NGO of chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen, was due to a “error” in believing that two armed militiamen from Hamas were traveling in it, so two commanders involved in the operation have been dismissed by the Chief of the General Staff.
This is the conclusion of the independent investigation commissioned to the Mechanism for Investigation and Evaluation of Facts by the Israeli Army, and after it became known, the Chief of the General Staff, Herzi Halevi, has dismissed the brigade’s fire support commander, an officer with the rank of major, and the chief of the brigade, a colonel on reserve.
The commanders of both the brigade and the 162ndª division, which operates in the center of the Strip, have also been admonded.
In addition, Halevi will “formally rebold” the head of the South Command, for “his general responsibility” in the incident.
“We take seriously the serious incident that claimed the lives of seven innocent humanitarian workers. We express our deep sorrow for the loss and send our condolences to the families and the WCK organization,” he said.
According to that investigation, Israeli forces identified two “gunmen” in the aid trucks while the convoy was heading to a warehouse in Deir al Balah, and when the vehicles left the place after unloading, “one of the commanders mistakenly assumed that the gunmen were inside the vehicles and that they were Hamas terrorists.”
The result of the investigations was presented yesterday to the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Herzi Halevi, and released this Friday, in which information sessions were also held with ambassadors and diplomatic corps.
“The troops did not identify the vehicles in question as associated with WCK. After an erroneous identification by the forces, they attacked the three vehicles by the NGO, based on the fact that Hamas agents were traveling in them,” the investigation states.
The attack on the humanitarian convoy of the American NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK), claimed the lives of seven of its employees: the Palestinian Saifeddin Ayad Abutaha, the Australian Lalzawmi Frankcom, the Polish Damian Soból, the Canadian-American Jacob Flickinger and the British John Chapman, James Henderson and James Kirby.
Although it was perfectly identified, the caravan was hit by three missiles fired by a drone, which was “a serious violation of the orders and standard operating procedures of the Israel Defense Forces,” the report concluded.
“The findings of the investigation indicate that the incident should not have occurred. Those who approved the attack were convinced that their target was armed agents of Hamas and not employees of WCK,” said the FFAM, which also pointed out “errors in decision-making.”
The Israeli Army assured, on the other hand, that it considers the activity of humanitarian agencies in the Strip “of vital importance” and pledged to guarantee their security.
For the NGO World Central Kitchen, Israel “cannot credibly investigate its own failure” in the Gaza strip.
In a statement from the organization founded by Spanish chef José Andrés, it is demanded “the creation of an independent commission to investigate the murders of our colleagues from the WCK.”
“It is not enough to simply try to avoid more humanitarian deaths, which are now approaching 200,” José Andrés says in the statement.
“It is necessary to protect all civilians and it is necessary to feed and protect all the innocent people of Gaza. And all the hostages must be released.”
For her part, Erin Gore, executive director of the NGO, pointed out that the apologies of the Israeli Army “for the scandalous murder of our colleagues represents little consolation.”
However, WCK highlighted the “important steps” taken by the Israeli Army by recognizing its responsibility and its mistakes in the deadly attack and by taking disciplinary measures against those in command.
International
ACLU seeks emergency court order to stop venezuelan deportations under Wartime Law
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Friday asked two federal judges to block the U.S. government under President Donald Trump from deporting any Venezuelan nationals detained in North Texas under a rarely used 18th-century wartime law, arguing that immigration officials appear to be moving forward with deportations despite Supreme Court-imposed limitations.
The ACLU has already filed lawsuits to stop the deportation of two Venezuelan men held at the Bluebonnet Detention Center, challenging the application of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The organization is now seeking a broader court order that would prevent the deportation of any immigrant in the region under that law.
In an emergency filing early Friday, the ACLU warned that immigration authorities were accusing other Venezuelan detainees of being members of the Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal gang. These accusations, the ACLU argues, are being used to justify deportations under the wartime statute.
The Alien Enemies Act has only been invoked three times in U.S. history — most notably during World War II to detain Japanese-American civilians in internment camps. The Trump administration has claimed the law allows them to swiftly remove individuals identified as gang members, regardless of their immigration status.
The ACLU, together with Democracy Forward, filed legal actions aiming to suspend all deportations carried out under the law. Although the U.S. Supreme Court recently allowed deportations to resume, it unanimously ruled that they could only proceed if detainees are given a chance to present their cases in court and are granted “a reasonable amount of time” to challenge their pending removal.
International
Dominican ‘False Hero’ Arrested for Faking Role in Nightclub Collapse That Killed 231
A man identified as Rafael Rosario Mota falsely claimed to have rescued 12 people from the collapse of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo—a tragedy that left 231 people dead—but he was never at the scene.
Intelligence agents in the Dominican Republic arrested the 32-year-old man for pretending to be a hero who saved lives during the catastrophic incident, authorities announced.
Rosario Mota had been charging for media interviews in which he falsely claimed to have pulled survivors from the rubble after the nightclub’s roof collapsed in the early hours of April 8, during a concert by merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was among those killed.
“He was never at the scene of the tragedy,” the police stated. The arrest took place just after he finished another interview on a digital platform, where he repeated his fabricated story in exchange for money as part of a “media tour” filled with manipulated information and invented testimonies.
“False hero!” read a message shared on the police force’s Instagram account alongside a short video of the suspect, in which he apologized: “I did it because I was paid. I ask forgiveness from the public and the authorities.”
Central America
Nicaraguan Exiles to Mark 7th Anniversary of 2018 Protests with Global Commemorations
The Nicaraguan opposition in exile announced on Thursday that it will commemorate the seventh anniversary of the April 2018 protests against the government of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, with events in Costa Rica, the United States, and several European countries.
The commemorative activities—which will call for justice for the victims, as well as freedom and democracy for Nicaragua—will include religious services, public forums, cultural fairs, and other public gatherings, according to official announcements.
In April 2018, thousands of Nicaraguans took to the streets to protest controversial reforms to the social security system. The government’s violent response quickly turned the demonstrations into a broader call for the resignation of President Ortega, who is now 79 and has been in power since 2007.
The protests resulted in at least 355 deaths, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), although Nicaraguan organizations claim the toll is as high as 684. Ortega has acknowledged “more than 300” deaths and maintains the unrest was an attempted coup d’état.
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