Joe Biden condemns Israeli airstrike that kills Gaza aid workers

US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he was “angry and heartbroken” over the death of seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, and he called on Israel to do more to protect aid workers.

Biden said in a statement that Israel’s investigation into the incident “must be swift, there must be accountability, and the findings must be made public.”

“What’s even more tragic is that this is not an isolated incident,” he said. “This conflict is one of the worst in recent years in terms of the number of aid workers killed.”

The attack on the WCK convoy killed Australian, British and Polish citizens as well as Palestinians and a dual US-Canadian citizen. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier said the attack was tragic and unintentional and the Israeli military promised an independent investigation.

Biden said Israel was not doing enough to protect aid workers or civilians in Gaza.

“The United States has repeatedly urged Israel to conflict its military operations against Hamas with humanitarian operations to avoid civilian casualties,” he said.

Biden said he would continue to press Israel to do more to provide aid to Gaza. He said a U.S. team in Cairo was working to secure a ceasefire as part of the hostage deal.

Biden said he spoke with WCK founder Jose Andres to convey his condolences and support for the organization’s “tireless and heroic efforts to feed hungry people around the world.”