From the Liveblog of
Friday, April 5, 2024
Calming diplomatic spat, Poland says Israel apologized after aid worker killed in Gaza
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WARSAW – Poland says Israel’s ambassador has apologized after an Israeli air strike killed a Polish aid worker in Gaza this week, calming a diplomatic spat that flared between the two countries.
Damian Sobol, a volunteer from southeastern Poland, was among seven people working for celebrity chef Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen who were killed in the airstrike in central Gaza on Monday.
“I handed over a note of protest to the ambassador. The ambassador apologized for this event, which has no precedent in the history of the civilized world,” Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Szejna says during a press conference.
Israeli ambassador Yacov Livne will not be expelled from Poland, Szejna adds.
He adds that Poland demanded that Polish prosecution take part in the investigation in Israel and that disciplinary action be take against soldiers responsible for the incident.
“The information we received so far is not satisfactory, but we see this meeting as a change of tone,” Szejna adds.
The ambassador caused outrage in Poland after he wrote on social media platform X earlier in the week that the “extreme right and left” in Poland were accusing Israel of intentional murder, adding that “antisemites will always remain antisemites.”
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.