The British government summoned Israel’s ambassador in London, Tzipi Hotovely, on Tuesday to protest the unacceptable deaths of three British aid workers employed by the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in an Israeli strike in Gaza.
In a statement, the Foreign Office emphasized that the ambassador was handed an unequivocal condemnation of the horrific deaths, including seven WCK staff members, among them three British nationals.
Alongside the ambassadorial summons, Foreign Secretary David Cameron spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, urging Israel to urgently explain how this occurred and to implement major changes that would ensure the safety of aid workers on the ground.
US calls for a fast, thorough, and impartial investigation
The U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, asked Israel for a swift, comprehensive, and impartial inquiry into the attack.
Blinken highlighted that the WCK workers are heroes and deserve protection, remarks made during a press conference in Paris with French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné. He noted that the United States has communicated with the Israeli government to convey the need to do more to safeguard civilian lives, whether they are Palestinian children or humanitarian workers.
He also described the current level of humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza as simply insufficient, given the population’s rising hunger and the lack of medical supplies on the ground.
Canada insists on accountability for those responsible
Canada, for its part, called for a full investigation into the Israeli strike and for those responsible for the deaths to be held to account.
The Canadian foreign minister, Mélanie Joly, posted on social media that she was horrified by the assault on humanitarian workers and confirmed that one of the seven deceased was Canadian.
She stressed that attacks on humanitarian personnel are completely unacceptable and suggested that Israel may be violating its legal duties by underscoring that international humanitarian law must be respected.