WARSAW — In the aftermath of Israeli Defense Forces killing 7-volunteers on a humanitarian aid mission for World Central Kitchen (WCK) in Gaza, Israel’s Ambassador to Poland, Yacov Livne, claimed there were attempts by what he described as the, “extreme right and left in Poland” to accuse Israel of “intentional murder in the attack”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed the attack to be an “unintended” mistake on the part of Israel saying, “This happens in war. We are conducting a thorough inquiry and are in contact with the governments. We will do everything to prevent a recurrence”. Netanyahu has called the incident “tragic”. World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andrés was unequivocal in his belief that Israel acted intentionally when conducting the attack, “They were targeted systematically, car by car”.
The 7-aid workers killed in the Israeli airstrike reflected the global concern for the plight of the Palestinians including 3-Britons, an Australian, a Pole, a Palestinian, and a dual US-Canadian citizen. Their death has invoked universal condemnation. Israel has not yet addressed how their high-tech visual identification of the 3-vehicles in the well-marked World Central Kitchen aid convoy could possibly have been misidentified.
Mission to Feed Palestinians on Brink of Famine
According to World Central Kitchen, 3 of their vehicles were participating in a humanitarian aid mission to feed starving Palestinians in war-torn Gaza when Israeli Defense Forces launched a series of air strikes to destroy the three vehicles resulting in the deaths of 7 volunteers. Israel did not deny that World Central Kitchen had coordinated their activities and movements in a mission to unload 100-tonnes of food aid at its central Gaza warehouse. Despite working with Israeli forces to gain clearance to operate in what they described as a “de-conflicted zone” their 3-vehicle convoy was struck in Deir el-Balah with Israel hitting all-3 well marked vehicles.
Critics of Israel have accused Israeli Defense Forces of acting purposefully in targeting the World Central Kitchen convoy. According to sources, World Central Kitchen had previously reported having been attacked by Israeli snipers resulting in damage to one of their vehicles. Israel has yet to confirm or deny this separate event. World Central Kitchen is adamant in insisting it has always coordinated its activities and received clearance from Israeli forces prior to commencing mission operations making these attacks all the more troubling.
In the aftermath of the deaths of the 7-volunteers World Central Kitchen has suspended relief operations in Gaza. Acknowledging the deteriorating environment in an already difficult climate 3-ships laden with aid that had departed from Cyprus en route to deliver aid to Gaza returned to port and have also announced they were suspending humanitarian aid operations in Gaza.
Poland Announces Homocide Investigation into Killing of Damian Soból
Polish prosecutors opened a homicide investigation into Damian Soból’s death. Soból, a Polish citizen, was one of the 7-volunteers for World Central Kitchen that was killed in the Israeli airstrike on their convoy on 1 April. Israel, who has promised a thorough investigation of the affair has indicated it may take weeks to complete its investigation. However, following a terse telephone confrontation between U.S. President Joe Biden and Netanyahu last night, in which Biden purportedly told Israel that it would reconsider providing further military aid and assistance to Israel without an immediate cease fire and a more robust system of protections for humanitarian aid workers, today Israel announced it had summarily dismissed 2-serving military officers over the attack that left 7-humanitarian aid workers dead. Reprimands have also been issued for 3-other Israel Defense Forces personnel in relation to the attack.
Israel continues to insist, however, they had made “grave errors” in judgment when targeting Hamas gunman and had not intentionally targeted the World Central Kitchen convoy. Several leading charity groups have voiced their opinion that Israel’s investigation of the event presents a conflict of interest and lacks in fundamental credibility. Calls for an “outside” and “independent” investigation are mounting. It is unclear who could conduct such an investigation of if consensus could be reached in accepting their authority.
Ambassador Livne wrote on social media Tuesday, “antisemites will always remain antisemites, and Israel will remain a democratic Jewish state that fights for its right to exist. Also for the good of the entire Western world.” Using another social media platform, Youtube, Ambassador Livne to Kanał Zero, “The Israeli army does not target humanitarian organisations but accidental tragedies sometimes happen during war… We regret what happened, but what is important is how it happened and what exactly happened”.
Polish Foreign Ministry Summoned Ambassador Livne
President Andrzej Duda called Ambassador Livne’s comments, “outrageous” before declaring the Ambassador was “the biggest problem for the state of Israel in relations with Poland”. Even Prime Minister Donald Tusk, one of Duda’s most vociferous critics, joined his President in expressing severe disdain for Ambassador Livne’s comments, “If the ambassador decides to make public appearances in our media, he should use this opportunity to offer a simple, human apology”. No apology has of yet been forthcoming.
According to pool reports, Ambassador Livne has been summoned to a meeting with the Polish Foreign Ministry on Friday to discuss this latest crisis in Israeli-Polish relations. Previous tensions generally arose periodically over World War II era issues relating to the holocaust.
