Indian American Democrat, Pramila Jayapal has condemned the death of seven humanitarian aid workers of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) who were killed during an Israeli air strike in Gaza.
The victims hailed from various nations including Australia, Canada/US (dual citizen), Gaza, Poland, and the United Kingdom. Israel acknowledged the killings, terming it as "a tragic event in which our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants," and categorizing it as an unfortunate consequence of warfare.
The Congresswoman took to X, formerly Twitter, to denounce the attack and called for the restriction of military aid to Israel.
“The latest horror inflicted by Netanyahu’s air strikes on Gaza—killing brave souls at World Central Kitchen delivering food to starving Palestinians. Another strike also killed at least 15 Palestinians in Rafah, including 5 children. We must stop US military aid used for indiscriminate killing,” her post read.
The latest horror inflicted by Netanyahu’s air strikes on Gaza—killing brave souls at @WCKitchen delivering food to starving Palestinians. Another strike also killed at least 15 Palestinians in Rafah, inclu 5 children. We must stop US military aid used for indiscriminate killing. https://t.co/DDkRojtiky
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) April 2, 2024
The Democrat in a previous post said, “The U.S. is the largest funder of military aid to Israel. We need to utilize our funding leverage to get an immediate and permanent ceasefire to allow sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza and secure the release of the hostages.”
Since Oct.7, the Biden administration has announced two significant military sales to Israel. According to a report by The Washington Post, in December, the administration approved the sale of nearly 14,000 tank ammunition cartridges and associated equipment to Israel, valued at $106.5 million. Additionally, a sale of 155mm artillery shells and related equipment worth $147.5 million was also sanctioned.
The founder of WCK, Chef José Andrés, confirmed the loss of several staff members in the Israeli air strike, expressing profound grief and calling for an end to such indiscriminate violence.
Emphasizing the brutality of the war , he said, “The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon. No more innocent lives lost. Peace starts with our shared humanity. It needs to start now.”
In response to the incident, Javier Garcia, executive co-chair/treasurer, and Erin Gore, chief executive officer of WCK, issued an official statement advocating for an independent investigation to uncover the truth, ensure accountability, and prevent future attacks on humanitarian aid workers.
According to reports, the attack involved multiple strikes targeting three WCK vehicles, all clearly marked and in compliance with Israeli authorities regarding their itinerary and humanitarian mission. Despite these precautions, the vehicles came under fire, resulting in the tragic loss of life.
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