The death of seven humanitarian workers from the American NGO World Central Kitchen in an Israeli army strike on Monday in Gaza has provoked strong reactions, particularly in the West, as Israel is attempting a mea culpa. Thus the Israeli army admitted this Wednesday that it had made a “serious mistake”.
“It was a mistake that followed poor recognition at night, during war, in very critical situations. This should not have happened,” Israeli Chief of Staff Gen. Harzi Halevi added in a video message.
Israel has promised an independent investigation
“We share the grief of the families (of the victims) and the entire World Central Kitchen organization from the bottom of our hearts,” General Halevi continued. “An independent body will investigate the incident in depth and report its conclusions in the coming days,” he announced.
Israeli head of state Isaac Herzog expressed “deep sorrow and sincere apologies” in a statement Tuesday evening. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recognized the “unexpected” strike and the “tragic” incident.
Joe Biden “Furious”
Many countries and organizations expressed their outrage, including the UN which called for a “disregard for international humanitarian law” and the United States, Israel’s historic ally, for a “swift and impartial” investigation. President Joe Biden, for his part, said he was “outraged.”
Based in the United States, the WCK, a rare NGO still operating in the Palestinian territory ravaged by nearly six months of war between Israel and Hamas, announced it was suspending its operations in the region after a strike on Monday evening. Deir al-Balah (in the middle). Among the victims are three Britons, one American-Canadian, one Pole, one Australian and one Palestinian.
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