LONDON: The UK said on Tuesday it had summoned the Israeli ambassador in London to hear its “unequivocal condemnation” of the killing of three British nationals and four other people who were members of a food charity after a Gaza missile strike.
The apparent Israeli airstrike that hit the World Central Kitchen has posed a potentially major setback to efforts to deliver aid by sea to Gaza, where Israel’s offensive against Hamas has pushed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the brink of starvation.
The food charity, founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres, said it was immediately suspending operations in the region.
“I requested a quick and transparent investigation, shared with the international community, and full accountability,” British Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell said in a statement after his meeting with Tzipi Hotovely.
“I set out the government’s unequivocal condemnation of the appalling killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British nationals.
“I reiterated the need for Israel to put in place an effective deconfliction mechanism immediately and urgently to scale up humanitarian access. We need to see an immediate humanitarian pause, to get aid in and the hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable ceasefire,” he added.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called on Israel for answers about the “tragic incident,” adding it must “take immediate steps to protect aid workers and facilitate vital humanitarian operations in Gaza.”
Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he spoke on Tuesday with Israel Katz to underline that the deaths were “completely unacceptable” and had earlier called the incident “deeply distressing.”
He posted to social media: “Israel must urgently explain how this happened (and) make major changes to ensure safety of aid workers on the ground. These were people who were working to deliver life-saving aid to those who desperately need it. It is essential that humanitarian workers are protected and able to carry out their work.”
An Israeli military statement said it was “conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.”
