‘This happens in war’: Israel says it ‘wrongfully killed aid workers in Gaza’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel accidentally killed seven staff members of aid charity World Central Kitchen in a Gaza airstrike, as the United States and other allies called for an explanation amid widespread condemnation.

The Israeli military expressed its “sincere condolences” over the incident, which has increased international pressure to take steps to ease the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, which has been under siege and invasion of the Palestinian enclave for nearly six months.

The attack on the World Central Kitchen convoy killed Australian, British and Polish citizens as well as Palestinians and dual US and Canadian citizens.

WCK, founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, said its employees traveled in two armored vehicles and another vehicle bearing the charity’s logo and coordinated the operation with the Israeli military.

“Unfortunately, a tragic incident occurred over the past day in which our forces inadvertently harmed non-combatants in the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu said in a video statement.

“This happens in war. We are conducting a thorough investigation and are in contact with governments. We will do everything we can to prevent it from happening again.”

The Israeli military promised an investigation by “an independent, professional and expert body”.

At least 196 humanitarian workers have been killed in Gaza since October, according to the United Nations, and Hamas has previously accused Israel of targeting aid distribution sites.

Prime Minister Sunak told Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that the UK was shocked by the deaths, including those of three Britons, and called for a thorough, transparent and independent investigation, Sunak’s office said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he expressed “anger and concern” to Netanyahu in a separate phone call.

The United States, Israel’s closest ally, said there was no evidence that Israel deliberately targeted aid workers, but that Israel was outraged by their deaths and had an obligation to ensure that aid workers in Gaza were not harmed.

US President Joe Biden called WCK founder Andres to express his condolences. The White House said Washington would press Israel to do more to protect aid workers.

“These are heroes who ran into the fire instead of running away from it,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Paris. “We should not be in a situation where people who are just trying to help their fellow human beings are themselves facing serious consequences.” Danger.”

United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the United Nations had warned of looming famine in Gaza and reiterated its call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

Israel has long denied accusations that it is hampering the distribution of much-needed food aid in Gaza, saying the problem is caused by international aid organizations’ inability to get aid to those in need. Gaza has been at war since October.

WCK said the aid convoy was attacked as it left the Deir al-Balah warehouse after unloading more than 100 tons of food aid shipped by sea to Gaza.

“This is an attack not only on WCK, but on humanitarian organizations that exist in the most dire situations where food is used as a weapon of war,” said Erin Gore, CEO of World Central Kitchen.

“This is inexcusable.”

The U.S.-based charity said it would suspend its work in Gaza, while the United Arab Emirates, which funds sea food shipments to Gaza distributed by WCK, said it would suspend shipments pending Israeli security assurances and a full investigation. .

Anera, a U.S. aid group that works with WCK, said on Tuesday it would also suspend operations in Gaza due to security concerns.

Israel is increasingly isolated

Australia, Britain and Poland, countries generally friendly to Israel, have all called for action to protect aid workers, underscoring Netanyahu’s growing diplomatic isolation over Gaza.

Israel has been facing growing international pressure to ease severe hunger in Gaza, which has been shattered by its offensive against the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. The conflict erupted on October 7 when Hamas launched an attack in southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli data.

Since then, much of the densely populated area has been reduced to rubble and most of its 2.3 million people have been displaced. According to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, more than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed.

The United Nations and other international organizations have accused Israel of hampering aid distribution with bureaucratic hurdles and failing to secure food convoys, a point highlighted by a disaster on February 29 when about 100 people died while waiting for aid. .

Gaza’s dominant group, Hamas, says the main problem with aid distribution is Israel’s targeting of aid workers. Following the latest incident, the group issued a statement saying the attack was aimed at intimidating staff of international humanitarian agencies and preventing them from carrying out their mission.

Andres, who started WCK in 2010 by sending chefs and food to Haiti after the earthquake, said he was heartbroken and grieved for the families and friends of those killed in the airstrike.

“The Israeli government needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon,” he said.

Video obtained by Reuters showed a four-wheel-drive WCK vehicle with a large hole in its roof and its interior burned and torn apart as paramedics moved bodies to a hospital and showed the passports of three of the victims.

The situation in Gaza remains extremely unstable, with fighting breaking out in several areas on Tuesday and Israeli attacks killing 71 people in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza’s health authorities.