The Israeli army admitted today that the attack on the convoy of the US NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK) in which seven aid workers died was a " serious mistake ".
“This incident was a grave mistake,” Israeli Chief of Staff General Herzi Halevi said in a video message. «It was an error that followed a mistaken identification at night, during a war, in very complex conditions. It shouldn't have happened ,” he added.
American President Joe Biden also spoke on the case, underlining in a note that Israel is "committed to conducting an in-depth investigation into why the humanitarian workers' vehicles were hit by the air strikes" . “This investigation must be rapid, it must ensure accountability and its results must be made public,” Biden further specified. He added: «The seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including one American, who died yesterday in Gaza, were providing food to starving civilians in the midst of a war. They were brave and selfless. Their death is a tragedy ." «This is not an isolated incident – he then attacked –. This conflict has been one of the worst in recent years in terms of how many aid workers have been killed. This is one of the main reasons why the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza has been so difficult: because Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to provide civilians with the help they desperately need. Accidents like yesterday's simply shouldn't happen ."
Three of the victims were British, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has "called for a thorough, transparent and independent investigation" into the incident .
Meanwhile, the EU says it is "alarmed" by the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus : "A further escalation in the region is not in anyone's interest" said a spokesperson, with Guterres recalling "the principle of the inviolability of offices and diplomatic personnel ".
(Unioneonline/vl)