(Ottawa) The mother of the Quebec veteran killed by an Israeli strike on aid workers in the Gaza Strip on Monday rejects Israel’s explanation for what happened that day.
But Sylvie Labrecque says she remains hopeful that the death of her son Jacob Flickinger and his six colleagues will lead to positive change for all humanitarian workers and the population of the Gaza Strip.
Seven employees of the non-governmental organization World Central Kitchen died on 1er April when their convoy was hit by an airstrike after delivering 100 tons of food to a warehouse in Deir el-Balah, in the center of the Gaza Strip.
The NGO World Central Kitchen claims that the Israel Defense Forces had been informed of the convoy’s movements and that the vehicles were clearly identified as belonging to the humanitarian organization.
An investigative report released Friday says an Israel Defense Forces colonel authorized the deadly strikes based on grainy footage from drone cameras. The military authorities were then led to believe, wrongly, that one of the members of the convoy was carrying a weapon.
Sylvie Labrecque rejects this explanation: she believes that Israel wanted to eliminate humanitarian workers.
Israel fired two military officials and reprimanded three others over the attack. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is also responding to an ultimatum launched Thursday by the American president.
Joe Biden said US support for Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip depends on Israel taking concrete steps to allow more humanitarian aid into the territory and to better protect aid workers and civilians.
Mme Labrecque hopes that will happen, in part because of the great outpouring of support she has felt for her son since his death Monday.