The World Central Kitchen (WCK) charity has said it is calling for an “independent investigation into the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) strikes that killed seven members” of its team in Gaza on Monday.
British victims John Chapman, 57; James “Jim” Henderson, 33; and James Kirby, 47, were among the seven who died in the attack.
WCK’s chief executive officer Erin Gore and executive co-chairman/treasurer Javier Garcia said this in a joint statement.
“On April 1, the (IDF) killed seven humanitarian aid workers employed by WCK, an internationally recognised humanitarian organisation.
“The aid workers killed were nationals of Australia, Canada/U.S. (dual citizen), Gaza, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
Israel has admitted to the killings but called it a ‘a tragic event in which our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants and something that ‘happens in war’.
“This was a military attack that involved multiple strikes and targeted three WCK vehicles.
“All three vehicles were carrying civilians; they were marked as WCK vehicles; and their movements were in full compliance with Israeli authorities, who were aware of their itinerary, route, and humanitarian mission.”
The statement asked the governments of Australia, Canada, the US, Poland, and the United Kingdom to join them in a third-party investigation into the attacks.
The investigation would find out whether they were carried out intentionally or otherwise violated international law.
The charity said it had asked the Israeli government to immediately keep all documents, communications, video and audio recordings relevant to the strikes.
“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 statement added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the attack as unintentional and “tragic” and pledged an independent inquiry.
(dpa/NAN)
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