Photo: whitehouse.gov
I am outraged and devastated by the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including one American, in Gaza yesterday. They were providing food to hungry civilians in the midst of war. They were brave and selfless. Their deaths are a tragedy.
Israel has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into why aid workers' vehicles were hit by air strikes. This investigation must be swift, it must bring accountability and its results must be made public.
Even more tragically, this is not an isolated incident. This conflict is one of the worst in recent times in terms of the number of aid workers killed. This is the main reason why the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza is so difficult - because Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed aid to civilians. Incidents like yesterday's simply should not happen. Israel has also not done enough to protect civilians. The United States has repeatedly urged Israel to deconflict its military operations against Hamas with its humanitarian operations to prevent civilian casualties.
The United States will continue to do everything in our power to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza by all available means. I will continue to urge Israel to facilitate more of this assistance. And we will push hard for an immediate ceasefire under the hostage agreement. My team in Cairo is working on that now.
Today I spoke with my friend, Chef José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen, to express my deepest condolences for the deaths of these brave aid workers and to express my continued support for him and his team in their tireless and heroic efforts to get food to hungry people around the world.
May God bless the aid workers killed yesterday and comfort their families and loved ones in their grief.
Whitehouse.gov/gnews.cz-JaV_07
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