17/07 • DECONFLICTION

In conflict zones, “deconfliction” refers to the process of humanitarian agencies sharing movement plans and facility locations with military actors to avoid being targeted. In Gaza, this information is sent through COGAT, the Israeli military’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories.

This system appears to be broken. The April 1st airstrike and killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers occurred even though their convoy route had been submitted and approved in advance.

Aid officials say that COGAT “operates like a switchboard without an operator”, receiving movement details but providing no confirmation of safety or intention to strike nearby targets.

In contrast to other warzones, where aid agencies coordinate directly with military field teams, Gaza’s system is slow, opaque, and mediated by the Israeli government. This is especially devastating given a history of sweeping evacuation orders with little to no chance of effectively being carried out.

Earlier this week, Dr Ahmad Attallah Qandil, a surgeon at the hospital, was killed by a targeted Israeli drone strike while returning home from surgery. His colleagues called him “a true humanitarian - dedicated, courageous, and selfless in his service to others”.

He is one of over 1,500 Gazan medical workers killed since October 2023, making Gaza the most dangerous place in the world for humanitarian personnel. The Aid Worker Security Database has recorded 308 incidents and 234 deaths in just seven months.

Under international humanitarian law, medical personnel and aid workers are protected, even in wartime. Israel has made modest changes to improve aid coordination since the World Central Kitchen strike (including a shift to liaising with Israel’s southern command), but observers say these are insufficient without a fully functioning deconfliction mechanism and a sustained ceasefire.