PARIS: The United States on Tuesday urged an impartial investigation into an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip that killed seven staff of US-based charity World Central Kitchen, saying Israel should do more to protect Palestinian civilians.
During remarks to reporters in Paris alongside French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for a “swift, thorough, and impartial investigation” into the deadly Israeli strike. Blinken stressed the importance of understanding the exact circumstances surrounding the incident and reiterated the US stance that Israel must take additional measures to safeguard innocent civilian lives, including aid workers.
“We should not have a situation where people who are simply trying to help their fellow human beings are themselves at great risk,” Blinken remarked, underscoring the moral and legal imperative to protect humanitarian workers.
France Condemns Israeli Strike on Aid Workers
Meanwhile, Sejourne expressed strong condemnation for the Israeli strike and emphasizing that nothing justifies such a tragedy. He called for adherence to the principle of safeguarding humanitarian workers.
Israel has faced intense scrutiny for its military campaign in Gaza, which has killed at least 32,916 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Blinken criticized the measures taken by Israel thus far to ease aid distribution into Gaza as insufficient, stating that they fail to adequately address the needs of those affected by the ongoing conflict.
“We are looking very carefully to ensure the necessary steps are taken by Israel,” Blinken stated, urging better coordination between Israeli authorities and aid groups operating on the ground. He highlighted coordination as a persistent challenge and emphasized the importance of addressing this issue to prevent further tragedies.
