World Central Kitchen names American Jacob Flickinger as victim of Israeli airstrike in Gaza

Tel Aviv — World Central Kitchen, the meals charity based by Spanish-American celeb chef José Andrés, has named U.S.-Canadian twin nationwide Jacob Flickinger, 33, as one of many seven members of its staff killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza late Monday night time. The opposite WCK employees members killed within the assault, which Israel’s army has referred to as a “grave mistake,” have been recognized as Palestinian, British, Polish and Australian nationals.

It seems their three-vehicle convoy was hit by a number of successive missile strikes regardless of the non-profit group having coordinated the staff’s actions with the Israel Protection Forces.

“It was a mistake that adopted a misidentification at night time, throughout a warfare, in very advanced situations,” IDF Chief of the Normal Employees Herzl Halevi mentioned, echoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who lamented it as a tragic accident, which he mentioned, “occurs in warfare.”

The U.S. authorities mentioned it was outraged by the deaths and, together with Britain and the opposite nations concerned, referred to as on Israel to hold out a swift and neutral investigation.

“We have impressed upon the Israelis absolutely the crucial of doing extra to guard civilian lives, be they Palestinian youngsters, ladies and men, or support staff,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned Tuesday.

Israel’s dealing with of its relentless warfare in opposition to Hamas, triggered by the Palestinian group’s Oct. 7 terror assault that noticed it kill some 1,200 individuals, has more and more strained relations between Tel Aviv and the U.S. — lengthy Israel’s most precious ally. Well being officers within the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, who don’t distinguish between combatant and civilian deaths, say Israel has killed greater than 32,000 individuals within the enclave for the reason that warfare began, most of them girls and kids.

Underneath a deal signed throughout the Obama administration, the U.S. agreed to provide Israel $3.8 billion price of army help per 12 months. That help — together with consignments of each guided “sensible” bombs and fewer exact “dumb” bombs — has continued regardless of mounting strain from Washington for the IDF to mitigate civilian casualties in Gaza.

Nowhere is the strain between the shut allies extra evident than it’s over Israel’s plans to launch a floor offensive within the southern Gaza metropolis of Rafah.

Round 1.5 million Palestinians have poured into Rafah and the encompassing space, proper alongside Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, looking for shelter from the Israeli offensive elsewhere within the territory. 1000’s reside in tents or different makeshift shelters, and support businesses say there aren’t practically sufficient fundamental items reaching these in want.

Netanyahu and his cupboard and army commanders have insisted on the necessity to destroy Hamas’ remaining battalions in Rafah, and whereas the U.S. has warned Israel repeatedly in opposition to launching a full-scale assault and not using a credible plan to guard and evacuate civilians, the White Home has continued backing Israel’s proper to eradicate the menace posed by Hamas.

The World Central Kitchen, in the meantime, has paused all of its operations in Gaza, making it even tougher for the world to get desperately wanted meals to the hundreds of people that want it within the decimated enclave.

Earlier than the incident, WCK mentioned it had shipped greater than 37 million meals to Gaza for the reason that warfare began on Oct. 7.

“This isn’t solely an assault in opposition to WCK, that is an assault on humanitarian organizations exhibiting up in essentially the most dire of conditions the place meals is getting used as a weapon of warfare,” the group’s CEO Erin Gore mentioned in an announcement, calling the Israeli strikes “unforgivable.”

In a prolonged social media put up, Andrés referred to as on Israel’s authorities to “cease killing civilians and support staff, and cease utilizing meals as a weapon.”

“Israel is best than the way in which this warfare is being waged,” he mentioned in a New York Instances opinion piece.

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