The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said this Tuesday, April 2, that he regrets the death of seven workers from the NGO World Central Kitchen, in an Israeli attack carried out a day earlier, in the Gaza Strip. The organization, which helps distribute food to the population facing risks of famine, announced that it is immediately suspending its operations in the enclave. The massacred humanitarian collaborators came from the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Poland and the Palestinian Territories. The British Government demanded an investigation from the Netanyahu Government.
At least seven employees of the NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK) They died in an attack by the Israeli Army in the center of the Gaza Strip. Workers from the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Poland, Canada and the Palestinian Territories are among the fatalities.
The attack, which took place on the night of Monday, April 1, was recognized by the military institution and by the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, this Tuesday, April 2.
“Last night's tragic incident occurred as a result of an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) attack and we are investigating the circumstances,” an Army statement said.
For its part, Netanyahu maintained that it was an “involuntary” massacre.
“This happens in times of war. We are investigating it thoroughly, we are in contact with the governments (of the foreigners among the dead) and we will do everything possible to ensure that it does not happen again,” Netanyahu said in a video statement.
It is not only an attack on WCK, it is also an attack on humanitarian organizations
However, the attack occurred when aid workers They were traveling in two armored vehicles clearly identified with the organization's logo, as they headed from the Deir al Balah hangars to distribute more than 100 tons of food that had arrived by sea to the Gaza Strip.
This is the NGO of Spanish chef José Andrés, who on March 15 participated in the distribution of food through the maritime corridor that was opened between Cyprus and Gazaa measure by the EU and other countries, due to the land blockade.
The vehicle of world central kitchen which was bombed by the occupation forces in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza. 7 members were killed in the attack. pic.twitter.com/rmYKIMS75R
— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) April 2, 2024
The president of World Central Kitchen, Erin Sangre, deeply regretted the event, and assured that “it is not only an attack on WCK, It is also an attack on humanitarian organizations that intervene in the most complicated situations where food is used as a weapon of war. “It's unforgivable.”
Hours before acknowledging that it was one of their attacks, the Israeli Army announced the beginning of an exhaustive investigation into the incident, which, it assured, will be carried out by “an independent, professional and expert body.”
Likewise, the military institution expressed its “sincere sorrow” both to the affected NGOs and to the countries whose citizens lost their lives. Furthermore, the Army reaffirmed its commitment to collaborate closely with WCK to guarantee the safe delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gazan population.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the military's top spokesman, said the independent investigation “will help reduce the risk of such an event occurring again.”
The Reuters news agency obtained a video clearly showing how the attack occurred. The vehicle is hit by a missile that makes a large hole in the roof, causing its interior to catch fire with the occupants inside.
The images also show rescuers taking the bodies to a hospital and recovering the passports of three of the victims.
World Central Kitchen suspends operations in Gaza
World Central Kitchen, founded by famous chef José Andrés, and which is recognized for its work in distributing food and preparing meals for those most in need in different parts of the world, reported last month that it had provided more than 42 million meals in Gaza in just 175 days.
But just after the bloody attack, the NGO announced the immediate suspension of its operations in the needy Palestinian enclave.
Is a hard blow for the Gazan population, who face the risk of widespread famine, as the United Nations and the European Union have highlighted.
But In the north of that Palestinian territory, deaths due to malnutrition and dehydration have already been recorded, mainly among children., several hospitals reported at the beginning of last March. A critical situation that tends to worsen given the total blockade by the Israeli authorities on the passage of aid by land.
While the Netanyahu government insists on rejecting the accusations and assures that it allows the delivery of aid, the passage of the basic elements of survival in almost six months of the ongoing war has been intermittent and scarce. Humanitarian organizations and some governments emphasize that the maritime corridor and the delivery of aid by air are insufficient and that the situation can only be resolved with a fluid transit of aid by land.
In the aftermath of the attack, Hamas released a statement condemning the Israeli attack on WCK, accusing it of being a tactic intended to instill terror among humanitarian workers and deter them from continuing their work.
The international community demands a thorough investigation
Governments such as the United States and the United Kingdom demanded that Israel conduct a complete investigation into what happened, a fact that keeps the United States-based NGO on alert. The President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, described this organization as “crucial” in the delivery of aid to Gaza and underlined the need to “redouble efforts to bring aid to Gaza,” as he said after a meeting with the Speaker of Parliament. European, Roberta Metsola.
For his part, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski demanded “urgent explanations” from the Israeli ambassador in Warsaw, following the death of a Polish citizen in the attack. He claimed to have received assurances that Poland would be promptly informed of the results of the investigation. “He assured me that Poland would soon receive the results of the investigation into this tragedy,” he said in X.
The identity of the Polish volunteer who died in the attack was confirmed by the president of the city of Przemysl, in southeastern Poland, who identified him as Damian Sobol.
For his part, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called on Israel to urgently investigate and provide explanations. And he said he was “shocked and saddened.”
“We are calling on Israel to urgently investigate what happened, because clearly there are questions that need answering,” Sunak told reporters during a visit to northeast England.
He said aid workers were doing “fantastic work” to alleviate suffering in Gaza. “They must be allowed to do that work without hindrance. And it is up to Israel to ensure that they can do so,” he stressed.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said earlier that Britain had called on Israel to swiftly launch investigations to provide a “full and transparent explanation of what happened.”
The Iranian government also criticized Israel for the attack and condemned what happened, while accusing Benjamin Netanyahu's government of planning to “impose hunger.”
“The selective attack by the Zionist (Israeli) terrorist army against a convoy of the NGO World Central Kitchen, which is responsible for the distribution of food in Gaza, deserves global condemnation,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Naser Kananí. on social network X.
حمله سازمان مردم نهاد “آشپزخانه مرکزی جهانی” که مسئولیت توزیع کمکهای غذایی در نوار #غزه را بر عهده دارد، شایسته محکومیت جهانی است.
ضمن تسلیت و ابراز همدردی با خانوادههای ۷ قربانی این جنایت هولناک ک ه دارای ملیتهای مختلف هستند،… pic.twitter.com/f8lwJSvXN3
— Nasser Kanaani (@IRIMFA_SPOX) April 2, 2024
“This crime confirms once again that the Israeli occupation regime still plans to impose hunger, create a famine and the organized murder of defenseless civilians,” remarked the diplomat, who offered his condolences to the families of the deceased.
The work of humanitarian organizations in the midst of bombings
Since the bombings intensified, as has the siege in the Palestinian enclave, aid groups have repeatedly called for a humanitarian ceasefire, ensuring that it is the only way to reach people in need. The United States, Qatar and Egypt have been trying for months to negotiate another ceasefire and the release of hostages, but talks between Israel and Hamas remain stalled.
The UN reported that a large part of the Gazan population is on the verge of famine, due to the isolation caused by Israeli forces. Israel has banned UNRWA, the main UN agency in Gaza, from making deliveries to the north, while several aid groups have warned that sending truck convoys north is too dangerous due to the army's inability to ensure safe passage.
UNRWA said in its latest report that 173 of its workers have been killed in Gaza. And the figure does not include workers from other aid organizations.
Earlier this week, three aid ships from Cyprus arrived with around 400 tonnes of food and supplies organized by the charity and the United Arab Emirates, the group's second shipment after a pilot last month. The Israeli army participated in the coordination of both deliveries.
Meanwhile, the United States, which has given strong military and diplomatic support to Israel's offensive, has promoted the sea route as a new way to deliver aid to northern Gaza and plans to build its own floating dock, whose construction is expected to take several weeks.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the attacks continues to rise in Gaza. At least 32,845 Palestinians have reportedly died, about two-thirds of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. Israel blames the number of civilian casualties on Palestinian militants because they fight in residential areas.
With Reuters, AP and EFE
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