Israeli forces killed seven people associated with the charity World Central Kitchen while they were aboard a convoy bearing the logo of the charity organization World Central Kitchen, which was coordinating operations with the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip. It was confirmed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deadly attack on aid workers was unintentional and “tragic” and promised an independent investigation.
“Unfortunately, there was a recent tragic incident in which our troops unintentionally harmed non-combatants in the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu said in a video statement on Tuesday.
“These things happen in war. We are conducting a thorough investigation and are in contact with the government. We will do everything we can to prevent it from happening again.”
Australian, British and Polish nationals were killed, as well as Palestinians and dual US and Canadian citizens.
WCK, founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres, said it was traveling in two armored vehicles and one other vehicle.
The convoy was struck as it left a warehouse in Deir El Bala after unloading more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid that had been shipped to Gaza.
The Israeli military said it was conducting a thorough investigation at the highest level to understand the circumstances of the incident and promised an investigation by an “independent, professional and professional body.”
Several humanitarian aid organizations, including WCK, suspended their operations in Gaza on Tuesday.
The group said it needed to determine whether its staff could safely provide assistance within the community.
“We are horrified and saddened by the tragic killing of seven innocent humanitarian workers in Gaza,” said the group, which operates clinics in Rafah and Deir al-Balah and is providing medical supplies. said Chris Skopek, executive vice president of global health for Project Hope, which is providing support and other assistance. Go to a local hospital.
WCK CEO Erin Gore said the attack was “unforgivable.”
“This is not just an attack on WCK, but an attack on humanitarian organizations in the most dire situations where food is being used as a weapon of war,” Gore said. “This is unacceptable.”
Last week, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced new interim measures as part of the South African genocide case to ensure civilians in the Gaza Strip have basic food supplies to stop the spread of hunger. He ordered Israel to take all necessary and effective measures to ensure the delivery. .
In response, Israeli officials accused the United Nations and other international organizations of “failing” for problems getting aid to hungry people, saying they had no right to carry out their mandates. It was argued that the country lacked logistics capacity.
US calls for “fair investigation''
The attack on the aid convoy drew widespread anger and criticism from some of Israel's key allies.
Britain summoned Israel's ambassador in London to express its “unequivocal condemnation of the horrific murder” of WCK workers.
“Israel must urgently explain why this happened and make major changes to ensure the safety of aid workers on the ground,” British Foreign Secretary David Cameron wrote in X .
The United States is “outraged” by the Israeli airstrike, and President Joe Biden said he called the WCK founder to offer his condolences.
“We were furious when we found out about the IDF.” [Israeli army] “Yesterday, many civilian humanitarian workers were killed in the World Central Kitchen bombing,” White House Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters at a briefing in Washington.
Asked if the United States condemned the Israeli airstrikes, Kirby said of the use of the word “outraged”: “I think this can be fairly characterized as condemning the airstrikes themselves.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he called on Israel to conduct a swift, thorough and impartial investigation into the attack.
“We spoke directly to the Israeli government about this particular incident. We called for a swift, thorough and impartial investigation,” he told a press conference in Paris alongside French Foreign Minister Stephane Séjourne. Ta.
“These people are heroes. They don't run away from the fire, they jump into it. There should never be a situation where people who are just trying to help their fellow man put themselves in grave danger. No,” Blinken said.
Sejourn expressed France's “firm condemnation” of the Israeli air strikes, saying “nothing can justify such a tragedy.”
Call for a halt to arms shipments
Asked whether incidents like the killing of the WCK official might have given the United States pause, given its recent approval of a new weapons package worth $2.5 billion, Blinken said the United States Israel's national security and Israel's defense capabilities.'' .
Multiple US politicians condemned Israel's attack. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders said the killing of the charity worker was “not an accident.” “There will be no further aid to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s war machine,” he wrote to X.
Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal said this was “the latest horror from Prime Minister Netanyahu's bombing of Gaza” and called for an end to “U.S. military aid used for indiscriminate killings.”
“Prime Minister Netanyahu needs to stop bombing civilians, stop restricting aid, and stop weaponizing food,” Congressman Jim McGovern said in a post on X.
