We need full accountability, says Cameron
LORD Cameron welcomed the suspension of two Israeli officers over the killing of three British aid workers in Gaza and demanded the “utmost transparency and accountability” last night.
The Foreign Secretary said: “We are carefully reviewing the initial findings of Israel’s investigations into the killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers and welcome the suspension of two officers as a first step.”
He added: “These findings must be published in full and followed up with a wholly independent review to ensure the utmost transparency and accountability.”
Israel said yesterday it would reopen a key border crossing into Gaza to allow more humanitarian aid to flow into the territory after pressure from US President Joe Biden. The Erez crossing in northern Gaza will reopen for the first time since the October 7 Hamas attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office also announced it would allow its Ashdod port to be used to process aid shipments bound for Gaza, hours after Mr Biden told him future US support for the country will depend on actions taken to protect civilians and aid workers.
But US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the measures might not be enough to meet demands for dramatic improvements in humanitarian conditions. Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu spoke on Thursday night, the first time since Israeli airstrikes killed seven people from the food charity WCK.
The US President demanded an “immediate ceasefire” and said Israel needed to reach a deal with Hamas “without delay”, the White House reported.
Jordanian aid shipments will also be permitted through another land crossing, Israel said. Mr Blinken said it was important that Israel was taking responsibility, but the US would look to see if aid delivery improves in the coming days, adding: “The real test is results.”
The UN Secretary General’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the opening of borders to aid was “positive news”, but added: “We will have to see how this is implemented. We need a humanitarian ceasefire and a massive influx of aid.”
The UN Security Council has issued a legally binding demand for a ceasefire, with the body’s top court saying there is a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza – a charge Israel denies.
Much of the population in northern Gaza is on the brink of starvation, the UN says.
Gaza’s health ministry said 33,000 Palestinians have been killed and 75,600 wounded since the war began in October.