International
Israel’s Airstrike Draws US Government’s ‘Outrage’ After Killing Aid Workers In Gaza
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Seven aid workers in Gaza were struck by an Israeli airstrike on Monday.
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Israeli leader Netanyahu has confirmed the killings, saying they were unintended.
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But the US Government has condemned the airstrike.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the United States Government has said it was “outraged” by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza that killed seven people working for World Central Kitchen (WCK).
White House spokesperson John Kirby disclosed the US government’s response during a briefing in Washington on Tuesday.
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“We were outraged to learn of an IDF strike that killed a number of civilian humanitarian workers yesterday from the World Central Kitchen,” Kirby told reporters.
Asked whether the U.S. would condemn the Israeli airstrike, Kirby said of his use of the word “outraged”. “I think you can fairly characterize that as condemning the strike itself.”
US President Joe Biden
At the same briefing, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre disclosed that US President Joe Biden has called the charity aid group’s founder to share his condolences.
According to Jean-Pierre, Biden told WCK founder Jose Andres that he will make clear to Israel that aid workers must be protected.
On his part, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had urged Israel to carry out a swift, thorough and impartial investigation into the attack.
“We’ve spoken directly to the Israeli government about this particular incident. We’ve urged a swift, a thorough and impartial investigation,” he told a news conference in Paris alongside French Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Sejourne.
“These people are heroes, they run into the fire, not away from it. We shouldn’t have a situation where people who are simply trying to help their fellow human beings are themselves at grave risk.”
Site of a strike on WCK vehicle in central Gaza Strip (Photo: Al Jazeera)
The strike on the WCK convoy killed citizens of Australia, Britain and Poland as well as Palestinians and a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier that the strike was tragic and unintended, and the Israeli military pledged an independent inquiry.
“Unfortunately in the past day, there was a tragic event in which our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants in the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu said in a video statement on Tuesday.
“This happens in war. We are conducting a thorough inquiry and are in contact with the governments. We will do everything to prevent a recurrence.”
WCK, which said it had coordinated its movements with the Israeli military, said aid workers had been travelling in two armoured cars and another vehicle.
The convoy was hit after leaving a Deir el-Balah warehouse after unloading more than 100 tonnes of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza by sea.
The Israeli military said it was conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of the incident, and pledged an investigation by “an independent, professional and expert body”.
Several humanitarian aid organisations, including WCK, suspended operations in Gaza on Tuesday.
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The groups said they need to determine whether their workers can safely provide aid in the territory.
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