The bodies of six international humanitarian workers killed in a Gaza attack were due to be transferred out of the war-torn Palestinian enclave via Egypt on Wednesday, as Israel faced widespread condemnation over their murders.
On Monday, an Israeli bombardment murdered seven staff members of the US-based humanitarian charity World Central Kitchen in an attack that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as “unconscionable” and “an unavoidable consequence of the way the war is being fought.”
According to Marwan Al-Hams, director of the city’s Abu Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital, the corpses of the six international staff members slain, as well as one Palestinian colleague, were scheduled to be transported out of Gaza via the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
Herzi Halevi, Israel’s armed forces chief, termed the incident a “grave mistake” and blamed it on nighttime “misidentification,” saying in a video statement that “we are sorry for the unintentional harm to the members of WCK.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously stated that the “tragic case” would be probed “right to the end”.
The seven deaths increased pressure on Israel, whose war since the Hamas offensive on October 7 has caused devastation and enormous civilian losses in Gaza, where the UN estimates the population of 2.4 million is on the verge of starvation.
US President Joe Biden accused Israel of “not doing enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians” and demanded a “swift” probe into what he claimed was not a “stand-alone incident.”
‘Anger and concern’
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that he expressed his “anger and concern” to Netanyahu over the phone, while Britain summoned the Israeli ambassador and demanded “full accountability”.
On X, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote to Netanyahu and Israel’s envoy, stating that “the tragic attack against volunteers and your reaction are generating understandable anger.”
The charity expressed sadness over the loss of its seven “heroes” and “beautiful souls”. It stated that they were murdered in a “targeted attack” despite the group’s coordination with Israeli forces.
It identified those deceased as Palestinian Saifeddine Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25; Australian Lalzawmi (Zomi) Frankcom, 43; British John Chapman, 57, James (Jim) Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47; Pole Damian Sobol, 35; and US-Canadian Jacob Flickinger, 33.
Following their deaths, the organization ceased operations, and a ship transporting food aid from Cyprus to Gaza returned to the Mediterranean island with approximately 240 tonnes of supplies that had not been unloaded.
Mass protests
The worst Gaza war in history began with Hamas’ October 7 strike, which killed around 1,160 people in Israel, the majority of them were civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli numbers.
According to the health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza, Israel’s retaliatory attack has killed at least 32,916 individuals, the majority of them were women and children.
Overnight, Israeli strikes killed at least 60 more people, according to the ministry.
The army claimed to have “killed and apprehended a number of terrorists” in action and an air strike near the Al-Amal Hospital in the southern city of Khan Yunis, where they also discovered numerous weapons.
On October 7, Palestinian militants captured approximately 250 hostages. Israel claims that approximately 130 people remain in Gaza, 34 of whom are likely dead.
The families of the detainees have held four nights of enormous rallies, backed by a resurgent anti-government movement.
Thousands rallied in front of parliament on Tuesday, with former Prime Minister Ehud Barak criticizing Netanyahu for the October 7 “disaster” and calling for new elections.
Meanwhile, the Palestinians have relaunched their application to become a full member of the United Nations.
In a letter to Guterres seen by AFP, Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour urged “upon instructions of the Palestinian leadership” that the Security Council revisit a 2011 application this month.