Western leaders demand Israel investigate the deaths of WCK employees

Some Western leaders have criticized the Israeli government over the death of seven employees of the American charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip. Israel admitted responsibility for the deaths reports BBC and other foreign media.

Among the dead, in addition to the Palestinian, were citizens of Britain, the USA/Canada, Poland and Australia.

The bodies of dead aid workers as reported Reuters, were taken out of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that the airstrike was carried out unintentionally. According to Netanyahu, he will do everything possible to ensure that this does not happen again,” notes the BBC.

US President Joe Biden said Israel had not done enough to protect aid workers trying to help civilians and called for a speedy investigation into the incident.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was shocked by the killing of three British citizens killed in an Israeli strike and called the situation in Gaza “increasingly intolerant.” In a call with the Israeli prime minister on Tuesday evening, Sunak demanded a thorough and transparent independent investigation into what happened.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in a telephone conversation with Netanyahu, called the killing of an Australian citizen completely unacceptable.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday that the Israeli airstrike had caused “predictable anger” on the part of Poland. Tusk addressed Netanyahu and the Israeli ambassador to Poland, emphasizing that the Poles showed full solidarity with Israel after the Hamas attack on October 7. “You are putting this solidarity to a very difficult test,” Tusk wrote on social media.

The charity World Central Kitchen said the volunteers were killed in a “targeted attack” despite the group coordinating with Israeli troops.

UN humanitarian chief Jamie McGoldrick said Monday’s attack was not an isolated incident, with nearly 200 aid workers killed in Gaza since October.

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said the Israeli strike, which killed seven aid workers in Gaza, was a blunder due to misidentification under very difficult circumstances.

World Central Kitchen, which has been operating in the Gaza Strip for several months and has just delivered a second 400-ton aid shipment by sea from Cyprus, is playing an increasingly visible and important role in preventing Gaza from sliding into famine.

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said the Israeli strike was a blunder “due to misidentification in very difficult circumstances.” Halevi stressed the importance of continuing to deliver aid to the people of Gaza. notes BBC.