Israeli airstrikes on Gaza help employee convoy sparks condemnation from UK’s Sunak and President Biden: Updates | EUROtoday

Aid employees with Save the Children will “continue working around the clock” in Gaza amid fears that the killing of World Central Kitchen employees may halt much-needed help to the area.

Liz Bradshaw, senior battle and humanitarian adviser on the charity, mentioned the deaths of the World Central Kitchen help employees had been an “unspeakable tragedy” and a part of a “horrendous trend” of assaults on help employees.

“Our staff in Gaza are facing the same situation that all civilians are facing,” she mentioned.

“Their safety and well-being are paramount considerations in all our operations and we are continuously assessing and mitigating risks to ensure that our team can carry out their work safely.

“While we are doing all we can to support them – including providing shelter, aid and basic supplies – what we really need to ensure their safety is a definitive ceasefire, now.

“Our team in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Gaza, continue working around the clock to find ways to deliver aid to children.

“Save the Children takes all possible measures to keep our staff safe while reaching children and families insofar as the access, including safety, restrictions allow. With attacks like these, that is getting harder.”

It comes as ships nonetheless laden with some 240 tons of help turned again from Gaza only a day after arriving, based on Cyprus.

Israel has allowed solely a trickle of meals and provides into Gaza’s devastated north, the place consultants say famine is imminent.

US president Joe Biden mentioned he was “outraged and heartbroken” by the Israeli airstrike in Gaza that killed seven help employees and he known as on Israel to do extra to guard help employees

In a few of his strongest criticism of Israel so far, he mentioned their investigation of the incident “must be swift, it must bring accountability, and its findings must be made public”.

“Even more tragically, this is not a stand-alone incident,” he mentioned. “This conflict has been one of the worst in recent memory in terms of how many aid workers have been killed.”

He added that Israel has not accomplished sufficient to guard help employees or civilians in Gaza.

“The United States has repeatedly urged Israel to deconflict their military operations against Hamas with humanitarian operations, in order to avoid civilian casualties,” he mentioned.

The killing of seven help employees in Gaza on account of an Israeli airstrike has sparked worldwide condemnation.

Seven folks working with World Central Kitchen (WCK) coming back from coordinating an help cargo from Cyprus to ravenous Palestinians had been struck by the IDF of their three-car convoy.

Among the killed had been three British residents named as John Chapman, 57, James Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47.

The youngest sufferer was a 25-year-old Palestinian driver named Saifeddin Issam Ayab Abutaha.

Lalzawmi Frankcom, 43, of Australia, Damian Soból, 35, of Poland and Jacob Flickinger, 33, a US-Canadian twin citizen had been additionally killed.

Lord Cameron welcomed a pledge from Israel to totally examine the strike on an help convoy, and urged the nation to make sure extra help is ready to get into Gaza.

The Foreign Secretary instructed broadcasters: “I welcome what the Israeli foreign minister said yesterday to me about a full, urgent and transparent inquiry into how this dreadful event was allowed to happen, and

we want to see that happen very quickly.

“I also welcome the fact he spoke about much more aid getting into Gaza, up to 500 trucks a day.

“That is essential, we have been promised these things before and it really needs to happen, including longer opening times at the vital crossing points.

“But, of course, the extra aid won’t work unless there is proper deconfliction, unless aid can be taken around Gaza and we avoid the dreadful incidents like we have seen in the last couple of days.

“That is vital and Britain will be watching very closely to make sure that that happens.”

Lord David Cameron has described the killings of the aid workers as “dreadful” and said “we should mourn the loss of these brave humanitarian workers”.

As he arrived at a Nato meeting in Brussels, the Foreign Secretary told broadcasters: “The dreadful events of the last two days are a moment when we should mourn the loss of these brave humanitarian workers, including the three British citizens that tragically were killed.

“We should also send our condolences to their families and our thoughts should be with them.”

The family of James Kirby, one of the three British nationals killed in an Israeli air strike on aid workers in Gaza, have paid tribute to him as a “genuine gentleman”.

In a statement to the BBC, they said: “Alongside the other six individuals who tragically lost their lives, he will be remembered as a hero.

“James understood the dangers of venturing into Gaza, drawing from his experiences in the British Armed Forces, where he bravely served tours in Bosnia and Afghanistan.

“Despite the risks, his compassionate nature drove him to offer assistance to those in dire need.”

The statement added the family are “incredibly proud of who James was and what he achieved”.

Lord Peter Ricketts, a former nationwide safety adviser, mentioned Israel’s killing of seven help employees has sparked “global outrage” as he known as for an “immediate ceasefire”.

Lord Ricketts instructed BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Sometimes in conflict, you get a moment where there’s such global outrage that it crystalises a sense that things can’t go on like this.

“And I think – I hope – that this awful incident will serve that purpose.”

He mentioned a failure by Israel to reply appropriately and present help employees they’re able to ship provides to space of battle ought to immediate “further steps to increase the pressure on Netanyahu”, together with the UK now not supplying the nation with arms.

“I think there is abundant evidence now that Israel hasn’t been taking enough care to fulfil its obligations on the safety of civilians and a country that gets arms from the UK has to comply with international humanitarian law,” he added.

He mentioned motion from the UK would possibly encourage the US to additionally cease supplying arms to Israel, which might be a “real game-changer”, Lord Ricketts mentioned.

He known as for “an immediate ceasefire for an extended period to open up the borders and make it safe to get aid in for those delivering it and those receiving it”, including this might additionally assist safe the discharge of hostages held by Hamas.

The UK and US are saying Israel has “gone too far” in its conflict towards Hamas, shadow Treasury minister Darren Jones has mentioned.

Asked if he would help the UK ending arms gross sales to Israel, Mr Jones instructed Good Morning Britain: “The fact of the matter is if the UK, for example, stopped supplying arms, the war would not end. What we need to do is get the parties to a position where the fighting can stop.

“I think what we’ve seen from President Biden, from Keir Starmer, and now from Lord Cameron, our own foreign secretary, is that countries that supported Israel’s right to defend itself and to recover its hostages from Hamas terrorists in Gaza, which clearly is their right to have done in the first place, have all said that you’ve gone too far, that we need to bring this war to an end, we need to get around the negotiating table, we need to aid to get to people who desperately need it in Gaza.

“This latest situation, not only has it resulted in the death of aid workers, which is unacceptable, but it’s now making it much harder for aid to be made available to people who are in the most desperate situations.”

Mr Jones declined to say whether or not Israel was violating worldwide legislation.

He mentioned: “As always, on questions of international law, it’s for judges and courts to make that decision, not for politicians.”

A Downing Street spokesman mentioned on Tuesday: “The Prime Minister spoke to Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening.

“He said he was appalled by the killing of aid workers, including three British nationals, in an air strike in Gaza yesterday and demanded a thorough and transparent independent investigation into what happened.

“The Prime Minister said far too many aid workers and ordinary civilians have lost their lives in Gaza and the situation is increasingly intolerable.

“The UK expects to see immediate action by Israel to end restrictions on humanitarian aid, deconflict with the UN and aid agencies, protect civilians and repair vital infrastructure like hospitals and water networks.

“The Prime Minister reiterated that Israel’s rightful aim of defeating Hamas would not be achieved by allowing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.”