UK dresses down Israeli ambassador over aid staffer deaths

Britain’s foreign office says it has summoned Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely over the deaths of seven aid workers in Gaza.

UK Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell says he called for “an effective deconfliction mechanism,” and more aid into the Strip.

“I set out the Government’s unequivocal condemnation of the appalling killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British Nationals. I requested a quick and transparent investigation, shared with the international community, and full accountability,” he says in a statement.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry tells The Times of Israel that Hotovely reiterated the same comments expressed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the strike, in which Israel promised to investigate the attack, calling it unintentional and a tragedy.

Separately, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron posts on X that he had spoken with his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz to underline that the deaths were “completely unacceptable.”

“Israel must urgently explain how this happened and make major changes to ensure safety of aid workers on the ground,” Cameron says in the post.