Biden with strong criticism of Israel after attacks on aid workers – NRK Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

Joe Biden says he is upset and heartbroken after seven employees of the aid organization World Central Kithchen were killed in an Israeli attack on Gaza on Monday.

In a powerful statement, Biden says Israel’s investigation into the attack “must be swift, accountable and the findings must be made public.”

– Incidents like the one yesterday should not happen, said Biden.

The US president chastised Israel for making it difficult to get aid shipments into the Palestinian territory.

– Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver emergency aid to civilians in desperate need, Biden said.

– A tragic case

Israel yesterday acknowledged responsibility for the attack, and calls it “a serious mistake”.

– It should not have happened, said the head of the Israeli military (IDF), Herzi Halevi in ​​a speech he delivered on video.

He blames it on a misjudgment, and that it happened “at night in a war with very complicated conditions”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the attack was “unintentional”. He did not apologize for the deaths, calling it a “tragic case.”

The IDF has promised to investigate the incident and that the findings will be shared publicly and with transparency.

– Shocked

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he is shocked by the killing of civilian aid workers.

Israel’s ambassador was handed Britain’s “unequivocal condemnation”.

The US president says the attack is not an isolated incident.

– This conflict has been one of the worst in living memory in terms of how many aid workers have been killed, Biden said.

More than 200 aid workers have died and among these are most UN employees, writes AFP.

Biden says the US will continue to press Israel to allow more emergency aid into Gaza, and to allow “an immediate ceasefire as part of a hostage exchange”.