After the death of employees of the World Central Kitchen organization, concerns are growing about the continued supply of food for the people in the Gaza Strip. Most aid organizations want to stay – but are demanding concrete security guarantees from Israel.
After the death of seven employees of the aid organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) in the Gaza Strip, the Foreign Office has warned that the supply situation for the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip could deteriorate further.
There is a danger “that other aid organizations that are urgently needed will also rethink and stop their involvement,” said a Foreign Ministry spokesman. The federal government has already asked Israel several times to enable more aid deliveries by land.
WCK founder speaks of “direct attack”
Earlier this week, six WCK helpers and their Palestinian driver were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip. Israel claimed responsibility for the action, said it was an oversight and said it had launched a full investigation.
It wasn’t “just some unfortunate mistake in the fog of war,” wrote World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés. It was a direct attack on clearly marked vehicles whose movements were known. It is also the direct result of the government’s policy of causing shortages in humanitarian aid to a worrying extent.
WCK stops working in the Gaza Strip
WCK had been distributing aid to the suffering population in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip in October and was involved in organizing aid deliveries by sea. Following Monday’s attack, the organization announced it would suspend its work in the Gaza Strip. According to Cyprus, a ship carrying 240 tons of aid destined for the Gaza Strip then turned back on Tuesday.
The United Nations announced that it would suspend nighttime traffic for at least 48 hours. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said security issues should be examined. According to the UN, around 180 humanitarian workers have died in the Gaza Strip since the war began.
WHO wants to stay
The World Health Organization (WHO), however, does not want to give up its difficult mission in the Gaza Strip. “We are here to stay and to do our work,” said Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for the Palestinian territories.
Peeperkorn reported that UN vehicles in the Gaza Strip had also been affected by attacks in recent months. This shows that arrangements for safe passage for humanitarian aid workers in this conflict “do not work”. Peeperkorn complained that planned aid missions to the north of the Palestinian coastal strip were repeatedly rejected, delayed or hindered by the Israeli side.
The managing director of Doctors Without Borders Germany also drew attention to previous attacks. It is “not the first time that we have seen attacks on humanitarian workers,” said Christian Katzer of the dpa news agency.
UNICEF spokeswoman demands armistice
Tess Ingram, spokesperson for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said in the daily topics, security agreements are needed for the aid organizations in order to provide aid, especially to the north – and these agreements must be respected. “It is important that we can assess the situation as a whole.”
She is worried that several organizations could now leave the Gaza Strip. “The situation is getting worse day by day because of the conflict and there are many supplies that are being limited.” The international community must work for a ceasefire “so that we can do our work in a safe environment.”
The President of the German Red Cross, Gerda Hasselfeldt, also called for better protection for humanitarian workers on site. Security guarantees are urgently needed, Hasselfeldt told the Germany editorial network. Otherwise, support for the people in Gaza and the protection of our own employees can no longer be guaranteed.
Criticism also from allies
The attack also continues to cause criticism in international politics. US President Joe Biden accused Israel of not doing enough to protect humanitarian workers who were providing urgently needed aid to Gaza residents. Biden complained that it was not an isolated case. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his government was “waiting for a much more detailed clarification of the causes.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement after the incident was “absolutely unacceptable” and “inadequate.”
According to Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Szejna, Poland summoned the Israeli ambassador. Poland’s Prime Minister Tusk had previously said that the “tragic attack” and the Israeli government’s public reaction put solidarity with Israel “to a severe test.”
On Friday, the UN Human Rights Council is due to consider a draft resolution calling for an arms embargo on Israel. The text, submitted by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIZ), is also supported by Bolivia, Cuba and the Palestinian Authority.