The deaths of seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in an Israeli military strike in Gaza have sparked international outrage and calls for an independent investigation. The victims, who hailed from various nations including the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, and Poland, were killed when their convoy was hit by an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) strike.
President Biden expressed his "outrage and heartbreak" over the incident, criticizing Israel for not doing enough to protect civilians or aid workers. "This is a major reason why distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza has been so difficult — because Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians," Biden said.
The IDF has acknowledged the incident as a "grave mistake" and stated that it did not intend to harm the aid workers. However, this explanation has done little to quell the international outcry. The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has called for an immediate investigation into the incident, rejecting calls to suspend arms shipments to Israel amid mounting global anger over the attack.
The WCK, a non-profit organization that provides food aid in warzones and regions recovering from natural disasters, has named the victims and praised their "beautiful souls." The organization's CEO, Erin Gore, said, "These 7 beautiful souls were killed by the IDF in a strike as they were returning from a full day's mission. Their smiles, laughter, and voices are forever embedded in our memories."
The WCK has demanded the creation of an independent commission to investigate the killings. “The IDF cannot credibly investigate its own failure in Gaza," the charity stated. The founder of the disaster relief group, José Andrés, emphasized the need for all civilians to be protected and for all innocent people in Gaza to be fed and safe.
The incident has also raised concerns about the obstruction of humanitarian aid in Gaza. Despite Israel's denial of blocking aid and blaming Hamas for the delays, there are widespread accusations from aid agencies that Israel is obstructing relief supplies.
In the wake of the strike, WCK has suspended its operations in Gaza. The organization has provided more than 42 million meals since its operations began there six months ago. The tragic incident underscores the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where a UN-backed report found last month that all 2.2 million people do not have enough food to eat, with half of the population on the brink of starvation.
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