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Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline The World Central Kitchen on Thursday demanded an independent investigation into the
Israeli air strike that killed seven of its aid workers in Gaza, hours after the aid group’s founder and celebrity chef Jose Andres alleged the vehicles carrying the workers were targeted “systematically.”
Palestinians inspect a vehicle with the logo of the World Central Kitchen wrecked by an Israeli ... [+] airstrike in Deir al Balah,
Gaza Strip. Key Facts In a statement on its website, the aid group said the “attack involved multiple strikes and targeted three WCK vehicles” as it appeared to push back against Israel’s comments calling the strikes a “tragic event” and something that “happens in war.” The group reiterated that all three of its vehicles were marked with the World Central Kitchen logos and Israeli authorities had been aware of their “itinerary, route, and humanitarian mission.” The statement calls for an “independent, third-party investigation” into the strikes to find out if they were “carried out intentionally or otherwise violated international law.” The group has also urged the U.S., the U.K.,
Australian, Canadian and Polish governments—the countries whose citizens were killed in the strike—to join its demand for an independent probe. The group also asked the Israeli government to preserve all documents, communications, video, audio and other materials that may be relevant to the incident. Crucial Quote “An independent investigation is the only way to determine the truth of what happened, ensure transparency and accountability for those responsible, and prevent future attacks on humanitarian aid workers,” the group’s statement added. News Peg In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Andres alleged the strikes targeted the slain aid workers “systematically, car by car.” He added that this was not simply a “bad luck situation where ‘oops’ we dropped the
bomb in the wrong place…This was over a 1.5, 1.8 kilometers, with a very defined humanitarian convoy that had signs in the top, in the roof, a very colorful logo.” When asked if he agreed with the Israeli government and Washington’s assessment that the strikes were not deliberate, Andres said: “Initially, I would say categorically no…Even if we were not in coordination…no
Democratic country and no
MILITARY can be targeting civilians and humanitarians.” Key Background Seven aid workers of the World Central Kitchen were killed in Gaza late on Monday after Israeli forces carried out an airstrike on their vehicle convoy. The aid group said the deceased workers were Australian, Polish,
British, Palestinian and one was a dual citizen from the U.S. and
Canada. The group said the strike took place while the convoy was moving inside a “deconflicted zone” after delivering more than 100 tons of food aid to a warehouse in the southern Gazan city of Deir al-Balah. The group also said it had coordinated its movements with the IDF. Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari announced Israel’s military would carry out a probe of the “tragic” incident while noting the aid workers were fulfilling the “vital mission of bringing food to people in need.” The country’s Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident an “unintended strike” on “innocent people” and said Israeli officials would do everything “for this not to happen again.” Further Reading Chef Jose Andres says Israel targeted his aid workers 'systematically, car by car' (Reuters) Netanyahu Says ‘Unintended Strike’ By Israel Killed Seven Aid Workers In Gaza (Forbes) Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions