World Central Kitchen called for an independent investigation into the Israeli attacks that killed seven of its aid workers in the Gaza Strip and urged Australia, Canada, Poland, the United States and the United Kingdom — where the dead were from — to join its claim. , the NGO said in a statement on Thursday.
“We call on the Israeli government to immediately preserve all documents, communications, video and/or audio recordings, and any other potentially relevant materials regarding the April 1 attacks,” the note said.
“World Central Kitchen calls for an independent investigation into the IDF (Israel Armed Forces) attacks that killed seven members of our team on April 1, 2024,” read a social media message from World Central Kitchen.
World Central Kitchen is calling for an independent investigation into the IDF strikes that killed seven members of our team on April 1, 2024. Read our full statement here: pic.twitter.com/C4vgu0r4IZ
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) April 4, 2024
Israel has said the attacks that hit the convoy carrying aid workers were a mistake and that it has opened an independent investigation.
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US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the incident “reinforces” concerns about Israeli plans to expand its ground offensive into Rafah, in the south of the enclave. Additionally, he “expressed his outrage” over the attacks during a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, on Wednesday night, according to a Pentagon transcript.
The army carried out several attacks on the convoy of three cars, at least one of which was clearly marked with the charity’s logo. World Central Kitchen claims it coordinates its movements with the military, which was “aware of its itinerary, route and humanitarian mission.”
Aid workers were distributing aid that arrived through the newly opened sea corridor to deliver food to the hundreds of thousands of hungry Palestinians in northern Gaza, which has been isolated for months by Israeli forces.
“These are the heroes of WCK. These 7 beautiful souls were killed by the IDF in a raid while returning from a full day mission. Their smiles, laughter and voices will be forever etched in our memories,” wrote Erin Gore, executive director of WCK in another message on the organization’s social networks.
“These are the heroes of WCK. 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.” – Erin Gore, CEO. Read more: pic.twitter.com/neAsSzKVP5
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) April 2, 2024
The attack disrupted those efforts, as World Central Kitchen and other NGOs suspended operations due to deteriorating security. Ships heading to the enclave returned to Cyprus with some 240 tons of undelivered humanitarian aid on board.
In his conversation with the Israeli minister, Austin “underscored the need to take immediate concrete steps to protect humanitarian workers and Palestinian civilians in Gaza following repeated failures to coordinate with foreign aid groups” and reiterated the call for Washington for an independent investigation into what happened.
“This tragedy reinforced the concerns expressed about a possible Israeli military operation in Rafah, focusing especially on the need to ensure the evacuation of Palestinian civilians and the flow of humanitarian aid,” Austin said.
The United States has provided military aid and crucial diplomatic backing to the Israeli offensive that began after the Hamas insurgent attack on the south of the country on October 7.
Israel has promised to expand its ground campaign to Rafah, on the border with Egypt, where around 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population of the besieged enclave, have taken refuge. The city is also a key gateway for humanitarian aid. Israel maintains it is the last bastion for thousands of Hamas fighters.
Washington says a full-scale invasion of Rafah would be a mistake and has instead urged Israel to conduct more targeted operations targeting the insurgent group.
Israel’s offensive in Gaza has claimed the lives of almost 33,000 Palestinians, according to the territory’s Ministry of Health, which does not differentiate between civilian victims and combatants in its count but states that two-thirds of the dead are women and children.
The war began on October 7, after the insurgent assault on southern Israel in which around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and another 250 were taken hostage.
The United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF, said that in northern Gaza, a third of children under two years of age were severely malnourished in March, a figure that “has more than doubled in the last two months.”
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