Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday the death of seven humanitarian aid workers from Israeli strikes on the Gaza strip. These workers were affiliated with the World Central Kitchen, a non-profit non-governmental organization that provides meals after natural disasters.
In a follow-up press release, Netanyahu elucidated, “Unfortunately, in the past day there was a tragic event in which our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants in the Gaza Strip. 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.”
As part of his statement on the incident, the Prime Minister emphasized Israel’s commitment to enabling humanitarian aid to reach the civilian population in Gaza, and pledged to do everything in their power to ensure no such tragedies occur in the future.
US President Joe Biden expressed outrage at the incident and noted his concern about the increased number of aid workers killed since the conflict began on October 7th. He also highlighted Israel’s missteps in adequately safeguarding the aid workers delivering critical help to civilians.
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak labeled the incident as “appalling”, voicing his concern over the mounting civilian death toll in Gaza. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese corroborated these sentiments, deeming the strike “completely unacceptable” in a telephone conversation with Netanyahu.
This catastrophic military offensive arrives in the aftermath of an order from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), demanding Israel take drastic measures to permit unhindered humanitarian aid flow into Gaza as part of South Africa’s genocide case against the country.
Since the waging of war on October 7th, Gaza has faced devastation from Israeli attacks on medical facilities and refugee camps, including allegations of war crimes by human rights groups. The conflict has displaced nearly 85 percent of Gaza’s population and resulted in the deaths of over 32,000 people, predominantly civilians. The surviving inhabitants grapple with a collapsed medical system and looming famine.