Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted on Tuesday to being responsible for an attack that resulted in the deaths of seven aid workers from the charity group World Central Kitchen.
Netanyahu, freshly released from the hospital after a hernia surgery, acknowledged that there was a “tragic incident in which our forces unintentionally caused harm to non-combatants in the Gaza Strip.”
“This is a common occurrence in war,” he said in a statement. “We are fully investigating and are communicating with the governments. We will take all necessary measures to prevent a repeat.”
The deaths of the foreign aid workers are likely to fuel anger and frustration with Israel’s conflict against Hamas in Gaza, where over 32,000 Palestinians have perished and hundreds of thousands are facing famine.
Tensions between the U.S. and Israel have escalated amid the conflict, with the Biden administration urging Israel’s military to reduce civilian casualties and allow more aid into the territory.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to address the situation in a press conference on Tuesday.
World Central Kitchen halted operations in Gaza on Tuesday following the deaths, with recent arrivals now reversing course to avoid the war zone.
The charity group stated that a team was traveling in an armored convoy and had coordinated with Israel regarding their movements before the attack.
Those who perished in the attack include a dual American-Canadian citizen, three British nationals, an Australian, a Palestinian, and a Polish citizen.
Celebrity chef José Andrés, who established World Central Kitchen, expressed in a statement that Israel “must cease this indiscriminate killing” and the restriction of humanitarian aid access in Gaza.
His charity group was transporting food and supplies through a recently opened sea route from the island of Cyprus to Gaza via the Mediterranean Sea.
The U.S. is also anticipated to utilize that maritime route once a pier is constructed off the coast of Gaza.
Adrienne Watson, the White House National Security Council spokesperson, stated on Monday night that the U.S. was “deeply saddened and extremely concerned” about the attack.
“Humanitarian aid workers must be safeguarded as they distribute much-needed assistance, and we urge Israel to promptly investigate the incident,” she said on X.
