Benjamin Netanyahu has responded following the tragic deaths of seven workers in Gaza, saying “it happens in war”.
There have been calls for Israel to explain what happened in the airstrike after three British nationals were killed alongside an Australian, a Polish national, an American-Canadian dual citizen and a Palestinian who were all working for World Central Kitchen (WCK).
Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, has spoken out about the incident, saying:
“Unfortunately, in the last day, there was a tragic case of our forces unintentionally hitting innocent people in the Gaza Strip.
“It happens in war, we check it to the end. We are in contact with the governments, and we will do everything so that this thing does not happen again.”
According to reports in Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, the convoy had coordinated its movements with the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), but got bombed anyway.
Erin Gore, of the WCK, said: “This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war.
“This is unforgivable”.
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has called on Israel to explain what happened in the airstrike.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said: “I spoke with Israeli FM @Israel_Katz to underline that the deaths of @WCKitchen aid workers in Gaza, including three British Nationals, are completely unacceptable.
“Israel must urgently explain how this happened & make major changes to ensure safety of aid workers on the ground.”
Prime minister Rishi Sunak told broadcasters during a visit to the north east of England: “We are asking Israel to investigate what happened urgently, because clearly there are questions that need to be answered.”
He added: “My thoughts are with their friends and family.
“They are doing fantastic work bringing alleviation to the suffering that many are experiencing in Gaza.
“They should be praised and commended for what they are doing.
“They need to be allowed to do that work unhindered and it is incumbent on Israel to make sure they can do that.”
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