The U.S.-based food charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) is calling for an independent investigation after Israel killed seven aid workers who were delivering food in central Gaza.
“We have asked the governments of Australia, Canada, the United States of America, Poland, and the United Kingdom to join us in demanding an independent, third-party investigation into these attacks, including whether they were carried out intentionally or otherwise violated international law,” the organization said Thursday.
The workers, killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes on Monday, were citizens of the countries listed by WCK, and one Palestinian.
The number of aid workers killed in the Israel-Hamas war has already surpassed 200 in six months — a figure never reached before in any conflict in a single year, according to the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick.
On Tuesday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Israeli forces “unintentionally” killed “innocent people” in Gaza. He added that “this happens in wartime,” as Israel announced it would launch an internal investigation.
“This was a military attack that involved multiple strikes and targeted three WCK vehicles,” the food charity said, adding it has asked the Israeli government to preserve all evidence on the attack.
“The U.S. must do more to tell Prime Minister Netanyahu this war needs to end now,” the organization’s founder and celebrity chef José Andrés told Reuters, as he questioned the White House’s decision to aid Gaza while arming Israel.
International condemnation is swelling and Israel’s staunchest allies have denounced the killings while calling for a swift investigation.
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