After the deaths of aid workers in the Gaza Strip, Israel is increasingly criticized internationally. Clashes broke out again at a demonstration in Jerusalem.
Protests in Jerusalem on the afternoon of April 2 Photo: Reuters
Israel military chief: That should not have happened
The killing of foreign aid workers in the Gaza Strip in an Israeli airstrike threatens to further isolate Israel and spark additional tensions with its most important ally, the United States. US President Joe Biden leveled serious accusations against Israel on Tuesday afternoon (local time): “Israel has not done enough to protect those trying to provide civilians with urgently needed aid.” Biden complained in a written statement that humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip was very difficult. Israel's Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi called the airstrike that killed several employees of the aid organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) a “serious mistake.”
“The attack was not carried out with the intention of harming WCK volunteers. It was a mistake that followed a mistaken identification: at night, during a war in very complex conditions. “That should not have happened,” Halevi said in a video statement Wednesday night. This was revealed by a preliminary investigation. An independent committee will fully investigate the incident and conclude it “in the coming days.” The army will learn from the conclusions “and apply them immediately,” said the Israeli chief of staff, expressing his regret.
“This is not an isolated incident,” Biden complained. “This conflict is one of the worst in recent memory in terms of the number of aid workers killed.” Israel has also not done enough to protect civilians in Gaza. Seven World Central Kitchen employees were killed in the Israeli airstrike. Israeli President Izchak Herzog apologized to the aid organization's founder, José Andrés. Herzog wrote on platform Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in a video message of a “tragic case of an accidental attack by our armed forces against innocent people in the Gaza Strip.”
“Everyone feels threatened now,” he quoted. New York Times on Tuesday (local time) Michael Capponi, founder of the aid organization Global Empowerment Mission. The international community of non-governmental organizations “must have guarantees that we are safe in our work, which is so important,” Capponi demanded. Given the death of its employees, the World Central Kitchen organization wants to immediately stop its operations in the region and make decisions soon “about the future of our work.” Israel risks being left without a partner to provide and deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, he cited. Israel Times a United States government official.
Tess Ingram, spokesperson for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said New York Times, hopes that the death of the WCK employees “will make the world realize that what is happening here is not right.” “The news of the attack is horrible: a nightmare come true for us,” Soraya Ali, a spokesperson for Save the Children, told the newspaper. “More than 200 aid workers have been killed in this conflict, making it one of the worst conflicts for aid workers in recent history,” US National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby said on Tuesday. . (dpa)
United States: Israel also responsible for Damascus attack
According to the US government, Israel is also responsible for the attack on the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus, the Syrian capital. Deputy Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh made this clear at a press conference Tuesday in Washington. Singh was asked if the United States was involved in Monday's airstrike. To which she responded: “The United States did not carry out any attack on Damascus. I would like to refer you to the Israelis to speak with them about their attack.” When asked if it was the US government's official assessment that Israel was responsible for the attack, Singh responded affirmatively: “That is our assessment.”
Two brigadier generals and five other members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) were killed in the attack. The IRGC is Iran's elite military force and is considered more powerful than Iran's conventional armed forces. The country strongly condemned the attack and threatened its archenemy Israel with retaliation. When asked, an Israeli military spokesman said they do not comment on foreign media reports. Meanwhile, thousands of Israelis protested again Tuesday night for the fourth consecutive day against the government and for a deal to release hostages still held in Gaza. (dpa)
Clashes in Israel amid renewed protests
According to Israeli media reports, protesters gathered near the parliament building in Jerusalem with torches in hand. That is why they asked for new elections again. In a speech, the mother of a kidnapped man reportedly accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of hindering a hostage deal. There were said to have been clashes between police and protesters during the protests. For weeks, the United States, Qatar and Egypt have been mediating between Israel and the Islamist Hamas to achieve a ceasefire and an exchange of hostages kidnapped in Israel for Palestinian prisoners. According to Israeli estimates, almost 100 people kidnapped by the Islamist organization are still alive. (dpa)
Palestinians seek full UN membership
Meanwhile, Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour called in a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres to resubmit to the Security Council a 2011 request for full membership for a State of Palestine in the organization. . The Palestinian UN mission shared the letter on Tuesday. In November 2011, a request for full UN membership failed before the responsible Security Council. The veto power, the United States and others, wanted the Palestinians to make peace with Israel first. In November 2012, the UN granted observer status to the Palestinians despite opposition from the United States. Of the 193 UN member states, 139 have so far recognized Palestine as an independent state. Germany is not one of them. (dpa)