Airstrikes on aid workers don’t ‘just happen,’ Trudeau says after Netanyahu comments
Attacks on aid workers are not something that just happens in war, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday, slamming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s defence of a deadly airstrike in central Gaza on April 1.
Canadian Army veteran Jacob Flickinger, 33, was among those killed while delivering food aid for World Central Kitchen.
Netanyahu said Wednesday the blasts were a tragic accident that will be investigated - but also a consequence of armed conflict.
“This happens in war,” Netanyahu said.
At a news conference in Winnipeg Thursday, Trudeau said he had to “directly take issue” with those comments.
“No, it doesn’t just happen,” Trudeau said. “And it shouldn’t just happen when you have aid workers for an extraordinary organization like World Central Kitchen risking their lives every day in an incredibly dangerous place to deliver food to people who are experiencing a horrific humanitarian catastrophe.”
World Central Kitchen is demanding a full independent investigation into the attack that killed its workers.
They were in a clearly marked aid convoy after delivering 100 tonnes of food to a warehouse in central Gaza when they were hit.
Also killed in the attack were Lalzawmi (Zomi) Frankcom, 43, from Australia, Polish national Damian Sobol, 35, Palestinian Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25, and John Chapman, 57, James Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47, all British citizens.
Trudeau said a “fully open, transparent, independent and rapid investigation” is absolutely required.
But he said a ceasefire and a massive influx of humanitarian support is also critical.
“The reality is we need much more humanitarian support to flow into Gaza, much more protection of civilians, of innocents and of aid workers,” he said.
“That’s why we need a humanitarian ceasefire. We need for Hamas to lay down its arms. We need for the hostages to be released, and we need a ceasefire to allow this humanitarian catastrophe to end as quickly as possible.”
International reaction to the deadly airstrikes has been swift and biting at a time when Israel was already facing sharp criticism for the humanitarian toll of its war in Gaza. The Palestinian death toll has soared above 33,000 people, with more than 75,600 wounded, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said Thursday.
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Netanyahu for 45 minutes Thursday by phone, and told him that future U.S. support for Israel’s war depends on new steps to protect civilians and aid workers.
“He made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers,” the White House said in a statement.
“He made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.”
The U.S. has been one of Israel’s biggest defenders and earlier this week approved the transfer of additional bombs to the Israeli military.
But Biden has been increasingly frustrated with the limited aid Israel is allowing into the territory and the growing death toll of civilians.
World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres has a friendship with the
Bidens and cooked meals at the White House when president Barack Obama was in office.
Andres rejects Israel’s assertion that it was an accidental attack, saying the charity had clear communication with Israel about when and where the aid workers would be moving.
He said Israel’s right to defend itself does not extend to killing innocent people.