Canada contacts Israel after aid agency says water truck bombed in 'targeted' attack

A Canadian humanitarian organization says its key water-aid truck was bombed in Gaza this week, and the federal govern‐ ment now says it has con‐ tacted the Israeli govern‐ ment for "more informa‐ tion" on the incident.

Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday evening that the government reached out to Israel after hearing that the truck operated by the International Develop‐ ment and Relief Foundation (IDRF) had been bombed.

"The rapid and unim‐ peded passage of humani‐ tarian relief for Palestinian people is critical. Upon hear‐ ing that IDRF Canada's water truck had been bombed, my office reached out to them and we have contacted the Israeli government for more information on the incident," Hussen said, calling attacks on humanitarian aid workers and operations "unaccept‐ able."

The response comes after the aid agency called on Ot‐ tawa to mount a full investi‐ gation into what it believes was a "targeted" incident.

The IDRF, a registered nonprofit based in Toronto, told CBC News that the incident is believed to be the first bombing of a Canadian aid truck during the current war in Gaza.

"It's hard not to see this as further targeting of the inter‐ national aid community," Zeina Osman, the IDRF's di‐ rector of impact, told CBC News on Friday night. The or‐ ganization wouldn't say out‐ right if it believes the Israeli military was responsible and is calling on the Canadian government to investigate.

WATCH | Charity de‐ mands answers after water truck bombing:

The truck was bombed in the early hours of Wednes‐ day morning, the relief agency said. It was parked outside the Tuffah district in the northern part of Gaza at the time, and was clearly marked with the organiza‐ tion's name and a maple leaf, it added.

CBC News asked Global

Affairs Canada how it will en‐ sure that information from Israel on the incident is accu‐ rate and whether it will pro‐ vide its own investigators. Hussen's office did not ad‐ dress those questions in its response.

'Humanitarian princi‐ ples are not being upheld': agency

The incident came just over two weeks after Israel admitted that it mistakenly struck a World Central Kitchen convoy, killing seven aid workers, including dual Canada-U.S. citizen Jacob Flickinger.

IDRF chief operating of‐ ficer Nabil Ali said Friday that the agency had notified Global Affairs Canada about the bombing but had not re‐ ceived a response at the time.

"We're looking for the Canadian government's sup‐ port," he said. "At a min‐ imum, the government has to ... investigate what hap‐ pened to understand exactly how this could happen to a Canadian aid agency provid‐ ing services on the ground."

In response to Hussen's post, the agency replied on X that it awaits the report from the Israeli government.

CBC News has contacted Israel's Ministry of Defence for comment.

Ali said the aid truck had been out Tuesday delivering water. When IDRF workers returned to it Wednesday morning, they found it had been destroyed, he said.

"It was a shock to the whole team, and we're very, very thankful that no one on our team was hurt by it. But it really has shaken us up and we're really worried about what the future holds for us right now," he said.

"We would question why a water tank that provides clean drinking water was bombed. It makes absolutely no sense.

"The basics of humanitari‐ an principles are not being upheld and that's a real is‐ sue."

Canada must demand 'real accountability': NDP

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called on the federal government to "demand an independent investigation and real accountability" fol‐ lowing the incident.

"This cannot continue and it cannot be normalized," he said in a post Saturday on X, formerly Twitter.

Liberal MP Sameer Zuberi threw his support behind that call in a post on X Satur‐ day evening, though the fed‐ eral government itself had not yet commented.

"An independent investi‐ gation is needed. Humani‐ tarian organizations must never be targets," he said in part.

As of last week, Canada would not say if it is still pur‐ suing further investigations into the airstrike on the Wor‐ ld Central Kitchen convoy. Global Affairs has not re‐ sponded, nor has it said whether it wishes to involve its own investigators in any probe, or to have direct ac‐ cess to the Israeli soldiers in‐ volved.

Singh's call for Canada to act echoed that of NDP for‐ eign affairs critic Heather McPherson a day earlier.

"A Canadian charity's wa‐ ter truck was bombed in Gaza. Attacks on humanitari‐ ans continue. @MelanieJoly, what actions are you taking to end this horror?" she said on X.

Ontario Liberal MP Salma Zahid also commented on X, calling the incident "disap‐ pointing and devastating news."

"Water is life, and access to clean drinking water is a life-saving issue for millions in Gaza. Humanitarian groups like @IDRFcanada are doing vital work and all par‐ ties to conflict have an oblig‐ ation to ensure their protec‐ tion."

Late last month, the top United Nations court ordered Israel to open more land crossings to allow supplies including food, water and fuel into the war-ravaged en‐ clave, where 2.3 million civil‐ ians - more than half of whom are estimated to be displaced by the fighting face crippling shortages of necessities.

The International Court of Justice issued two new socalled provisional measures in a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of acts of genocide in its military campaign in Gaza, launched after the deadly Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.

Israel stringently denies it is committing genocide. It says its military campaign is one of self-defence and urged the court not to issue new orders.

Incident 'may not be the last,' says aid agency

Ali said the water truck was paid for entirely from Canadian donor dollars, and that thousands will be with‐ out water as a result of the bombing.

"That truck was a staple in providing people with clean drinking water on a daily basis," he said.

The relief agency said on X that over the last six mon‐ ths, the truck delivered clean drinking water to tens of thousands, "serving as a life‐ line" in northern and central Gaza.

It also said it will continue to operate, albeit with small‐ er tanks, which will make de‐ livering aid more difficult and reiterated calls for an "immediate and lasting ceasefire."

"This incident shows the dangers that humanitarian workers face every day. It's not the first time aid workers have been targeted in this crisis, and sadly, it may not be the last," it said.

"We refuse to accept a re‐ ality where delivering life-sav‐ ing aid comes at such a dev‐ astating cost."