The Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday, April 2, an “independent expert body” would investigate the deaths of seven aid workers after the food aid organization World Central Kitchen said “an IDF strike” was responsible.
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said the incident was being reviewed at the highest levels to find out “what happened and why the incident happened.”
“We will get to the bottom of this and share our findings transparently,” he said.
Hagari said he had spoken with World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres and expressed “deepest condolences” to the families of those killed and to the charity.
World Central Kitchen said in a statement on Tuesday that seven members of its team were killed in a strike in Dier al-Balah. Members of the team were from Australia, Poland, and the UK, it said. Another was a dual citizen of the US and Canada, and a Palestinian was also killed.
World Central Kitchen said it has suspended its operations in Gaza.
The IDF, Hagari said, was “committed to examining [its] operations thoroughly and transparently.” The IDF is a “professional military committed to international law,” he added.
Graphic video by Gazan journalist Omar Aldirawi on Monday showed the bodies of four deceased people wearing clothing showing the charity’s logo. Credit: IDF via Storyful
Source Agencies
