The Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" said that the killing of 7 aid workers from the World Central Kitchen organization in an Israeli air strike on the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, last Monday, could not end with only a "comprehensive and transparent investigation" conducted by the Israeli army, as promised. Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy.

It added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's apology - which she described as lukewarm - and his justification that "this happens in war," and that his government is conducting a comprehensive investigation, is not enough, and it must end its war in the Gaza Strip now.

This particular incident is disturbing

In its main editorial, the newspaper considered this particular incident worrisome, “because the organization was coordinating its movements with the Israeli army, and the attack was not the result of a mistaken identity.”

It stated that the World Central Kitchen vehicles had signs on their roofs and on their side doors clearly indicating that they belonged to the organization, and were traveling on a previously agreed-upon route with the Israeli army.

It described the decision to launch a raid on the convoy of that organization's vehicles as "heartbreaking and useless," stressing the need for Israel to allow relief organizations - including those affiliated with the United Nations - to distribute aid "in peace and safety."

Relief organizations must be secured

If Israel cannot guarantee this - according to Haaretz - then it must entrust the task to international bodies and determine specific routes that are safe from any air or ground attacks.

An investigation conducted by Al Jazeera Media Network revealed that the Israeli occupation army deliberately targeted the convoy of employees of the World Central Kitchen Organization 3 times in a row on Al-Rashid Street, south of Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

The investigation, which relied on open sources, eyewitness accounts, and photographs of the bombing sites, was able to conduct a temporal and spatial mapping of the events and determine the geographical locations of 3 cars belonging to the organization in close locations, in addition to the warehouse from which the convoy departed before it was subjected to the bombing.

Source: Haaretz+ Aljazeera