(Ottawa) Israel was strongly condemned – among others by Canada – for the strike which killed seven humanitarian workers from the American NGO World Central Kitchen, at a time when famine threatens Gaza, according to the UN. Among the victims is a 33-year-old Canadian-American employee, Jacob Flickinger, the organization announced on Tuesday.
What there is to know
Another seven aid workers were killed by the Israeli army.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was an “unintentional” strike.
The UN, which had already recorded 196 victims among humanitarian workers working in Gaza as of March 20, does not believe in the theory of an isolated incident.
Many countries, including Canada, condemned the attack.
“This is not an attack on World Central Kitchen. It is an attack on international organizations that intervene in the most desperate situations, where food is used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” declared Erin Gore, CEO of the organization, in a press release, regarding the attack which occurred on the night of Monday to Tuesday.
World Central Kitchen said its team was traveling in two armored cars marked with its logo and another vehicle. “Although our movements were coordinated with the Israeli army, the convoy was attacked as it departed from the Dier el-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tons of food aid […]. »
Dans une déclaration vidéo mardi, le premier ministre israélien, Benyamin Nétanyahou, a déclaré, sans nommer la World Central Kitchen, que des « innocents » ont été touchés par une frappe « non intentionnelle » de l’armée.
« Cela arrive en temps de guerre, nous étudions cela attentivement, nous sommes en contact avec les gouvernements [des victimes] and we will do everything to ensure that it does not happen again,” added the Prime Minister.
“Absolutely unacceptable,” says Justin Trudeau
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, said it is “absolutely unacceptable that aid workers were killed by Israeli forces,” adding that the tragedy highlights the need “for a ceasefire to be able to prevent the deaths of innocent people.
On the X network, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, said she was “horrified”.
We condemn these strikes and demand a full investigation. Canada expects those responsible for these killings to be held accountable.
Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called for a “rapid and impartial” investigation by Israeli authorities.
“This is completely unacceptable,” said Anthony Albanese, prime minister of Australia, where one of the aid workers was from.
He added that “this is a tragedy that should never have happened” and that Australia would “seek accountability” for the attack.
Martin Griffiths, head of the UN humanitarian affairs office, told X that he is “outraged by the killing” of aid workers.
“These are heroes who were killed while trying to feed hungry people,” he also said. […] All this talk about ceasefire and once again, war is robbing us of the best of us. The actions of those responsible are indefensible. This must stop. »
Not an isolated incident, notes UN
In a written statement, Jamie McGoldrick, the top UN official coordinating humanitarian aid in the occupied Palestinian territory, stressed that the deaths of the seven aid workers “is not an isolated incident. As of March 20, at least 196 aid workers have been killed” in Gaza.
“This is almost three times more than in any other conflict in a year,” he said.
PHOTO SAID KHATIB, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Relatives of one of the victims of the Israeli strike against a convoy of the NGO World Central Kitchen are mourning his disappearance.
In the eyes of François Audet, director of the Canadian Observatory on Humanitarian Crises and Action and professor at the School of Management Sciences at UQAM, there is no doubt: we are here in the presence of a violation of human rights. war and an Israeli army pattern.
According to him, Canadian elected officials must now expressly ask Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other politicians the following question: “Is the Israeli army still under control? »
Do soldiers “act to take revenge? [des attaques] of October 7 or according to the rules of war? », also asks Mr. Audet.
Around 250 people were kidnapped and taken to Gaza during the Hamas attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an Agence France-Presse tally based on official data. Israelis. Rapes were also allegedly committed.
According to Israeli authorities, 130 hostages are still being held in Gaza, among whom 34 are believed to be dead.
Nearly 33,000 people, including thousands of children, have been killed since the start of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas Health Ministry told AFP. On February 29, the UN reported more than 30,000 victims and more than 70,000 injured.
In February, Israel published a list of 12 employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) who, according to the government, “actively participated” in the attacks on October 7.
After these allegations, Canada, like 14 other donor countries, stopped paying money to this organization, and the UN opened an investigation.
“Deeply concerned by the catastrophic situation in Gaza,” Justin Trudeau announced in March that, like other countries, Canada would restore its aid to UNRWA. On Tuesday, it was Japan’s turn to resume payments.
On Sunday, the Associated Press reported, tens of thousands of Israelis gathered outside the parliament in Jerusalem. This is the largest anti-government demonstration since the country entered the war in October. Protesters demanded a ceasefire agreement to free Israeli hostages still being held and called for early elections.
In the evening of Tuesday, families of hostages and opponents of the government headed towards the private house of Benjamin Netanyahu, the daily reported Times of Israel.