From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Biden: NGO convoy strike isn’t isolated incident; Israel hasn’t done enough to protect aid workers, civilians
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US President Joe Biden says the recent IDF strike on a humanitarian convoy in Gaza was not an isolated incident, as Israel has failed to sufficiently protect aid workers and Palestinian civilians in its war against Hamas in the coastal enclave.
“I am outraged and heartbroken by the deaths of seven humanitarian workers from World Central Kitchen, including one American, in Gaza yesterday. They were providing food to hungry civilians in the middle of a war. They were brave and selfless. Their deaths are a tragedy,” Biden says in a fiery statement.
“Israel has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into why the aid workers’ vehicles were hit by airstrikes. That investigation must be swift, it must bring accountability, and its findings must be made public,” the president asserts.
“Even more tragically, this is not a stand-alone incident. This conflict has been one of the worst in recent memory in terms of how many aid workers have been killed.”
“This is a major reason why distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza has been so difficult – because Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help 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 their military operations against Hamas with humanitarian operations in order to avoid civilian casualties.”
“The United States will continue to do all we can to deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, through all available means.”
“I will continue to press Israel to do more to facilitate that aid, and we are pushing hard for an immediate ceasefire as part of a hostage deal. I have a team in Cairo working on this right now,” Biden notes.
“Earlier today, I spoke with my friend Chef José Andrés, the founder of World Central Kitchen, to convey my deepest condolences for the deaths of these courageous aid workers and to express my continued support for his and his team’s relentless and heroic efforts to get food to hungry people around the globe.”
“May God bless the humanitarian workers killed yesterday and comfort their families and loved ones in their grief,” Biden adds.
