‘Is a very serious war crime’

NOS News•today, 3:01 PM

Once again, aid workers have been killed in the Gaza Strip. Seven employees of World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed in an Israeli airstrike on an aid convoy. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called it an “accidental attack” and says there will be an independent investigation.

Several countries are demanding an explanation from the Israeli government. The victims included an Australian, a Pole and an employee with dual American and Canadian nationality. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has asked the Israeli ambassador to his country for clarification. The White House says it is “deeply shocked and disturbed” and calls for an investigation.

It is not the first time that aid workers have died while working in the Gaza Strip. At least two hundred aid workers have been killed since the war started in October last year, says Aid Worker Security Database. There are probably more because this year’s figures are not yet up to date.

Due to the war in Gaza, 2023 became the deadliest year ever for aid workers. The record was tripled. Various aid organizations have been calling for a ceasefire and (safe) humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip for months.

“The work there is terribly dangerous,” says Michiel Servaes, director of Oxfam Novib. According to him, the situation in Gaza cannot be compared to any other conflict. “We have seen several times in the past six months that aid workers are deliberately attacked. It appears that is the case today. That is simply a very serious war crime.”

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called the World Central Kitchen incident tragic, but also said something like this could happen in a war:

Netanyahu: ‘Airstrike on aid convoy was not intentional’

The Red Cross also notices every day that relief work in the Gaza Strip is not without danger. Six hundred employees currently work there under the flag of sister organization Palestinian Red Crescent. “Despite all the dangers, they provide assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” says Danielle Brouwer of the Red Cross.

The Red Cross has lost eighteen employees due to the war in Gaza. The aid organization also says that ambulances and aid convoys have been shot at several times and that it happens more often than in other conflicts. It is unknown to the Red Cross which party opened fire on the employees.

“But that is against humanitarian law of war,” says Brouwer. “If we can no longer do our work safely here, we can no longer save human lives. Our employees are already working in a situation where there is a shortage of everything. We continue to call for aid workers and civilians not to be targets in war.”

Servaes acknowledges that their work is never without danger and that they have often lost employees in conflicts, “but never before have aid workers been so badly targeted. That cannot be compared to anything. And nothing is done about it.”

Oxfam employees are having a hard time in Gaza at the moment, says Servaes. “We have our own team of Gazans there. Things are not going well, but they are still there. They have lost their home, they have lost family. They are exhausted and the team has also been thinned out.”

“Normally we would bring people in from outside, but those are very difficult decisions at the moment. Today’s news hits us very hard.”

The WCK has suspended all activities in the region indefinitely. Servaes understands that decision. He finds it difficult to say when the limit has been reached for him to stop providing assistance. “Our only goal is to bring help in difficult circumstances. But you can get to a point where you say you’re going to stop. It’s an impossible choice.”

Due to the cessation of all activities, a ship with 240 tons of resources, intended for the WCK, has returned to Cyprus.

The seven victims of the Israeli attack on an aid team in Gaza included a 35-year-old Polish man. Damian Sobol recently posted this video of himself at a distribution center of his organization in Cairo:

Image of slain Polish aid worker in Gaza: ‘Thank you for your donations!’