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An American nonprofit employee killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza has been named as 33-year-old Jacob Flickinger.
Flickinger was one in every of seven slain by an IDF strike as he and his colleagues from the World Central Kitchen labored to distribute help to Palestinians.
They had been in a convoy of three vehicles Monday evening when hellfire missiles struck their automobiles.
The incident has sparked worldwide outrage and has heaped extra stress on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his response to the October 7 terror assaults, which killed 1,200 Israelis and resulted in additional than 30,000 Gazans perishing in retaliatory strikes.
In an announcement, World Central Kitchen named Flickinger as one in every of seven ‘lovely souls’ killed throughout the assault.
President Joe Biden additionally launched an announcement within the aftermath of the assault, saying: ‘I’m outraged and heartbroken by the deaths of seven humanitarian employees from World Central Kitchen, together with one American, in Gaza yesterday. They had been offering meals to hungry civilians in the course of a conflict. They had been courageous and selfless. Their deaths are a tragedy.’
Jacob Flickinger, 33, has been named because the American-Canadian citizen who was one in every of seven meals charity employees killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza late Monday evening
In an announcement, WC Kitchen named Flickinger as one in every of seven ‘lovely souls’ killed throughout the assault
The staff from the charity and their Palestinian driver had been killed in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah when their car (pictured) was struck on Monday, native media reported, after the group helped ship meals and different provides to the area
‘Israel has pledged to conduct a radical investigation into why the help employees’ automobiles had been hit by airstrikes. That investigation should be swift, it should carry accountability, and its findings should be made public,’ Biden’s assertion continued.
‘Much more tragically, this isn’t a stand-alone incident. This battle has been one of many worst in latest reminiscence by way of what number of help employees have been killed. It is a main cause why distributing humanitarian help in Gaza has been so troublesome – as a result of Israel has not executed sufficient to guard help employees attempting to ship desperately wanted assist to civilians. Incidents like yesterday’s merely shouldn’t occur. Israel has additionally not executed sufficient to guard civilians. The US has repeatedly urged Israel to deconflict their navy operations in opposition to Hamas with humanitarian operations, in an effort to keep away from civilian casualties.
‘The US will proceed to do all we are able to to ship humanitarian help to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, by means of all accessible means. I’ll proceed to press Israel to do extra to facilitate that help. And we’re pushing arduous for a direct ceasefire as a part of a hostage deal. I’ve a staff in Cairo engaged on this proper now.
‘Earlier as we speak, I spoke with my pal Chef José Andrés, the founding father of World Central Kitchen, to convey my deepest condolences for the deaths of those brave help employees and to precise my continued help for his and his staff’s relentless and heroic efforts to get meals to hungry folks across the globe.
‘Might God bless the humanitarian employees killed yesterday and luxury their households and family members of their grief.’
A destroyed automotive displaying the charity’s brand is seen from above on Tuesday. The convoy was focused by R9X Hellfire missiles
World Central Kitchen officers recognized the seven victims of the assault and blasted Israel for hitting the help group.
‘Their smiles, laughter, and voices are endlessly embedded in our recollections,’ Erin Gore, CEO, stated.
‘This isn’t solely an assault in opposition to WCK, that is an assault on humanitarian organizations displaying up in probably the most dire of conditions the place meals is getting used as a weapon of conflict. That is unforgivable.
‘I’m heartbroken and appalled that we—World Central Kitchen and the world—misplaced lovely lives as we speak due to a focused assault by the IDF. The love that they had for feeding folks, the willpower they embodied to point out that humanity rises above all, and the affect they made in numerous lives will endlessly be remembered and cherished.’
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken referred to as for an pressing investigation.
‘Humanitarian employees are heroes,’ Blinken stated. ‘They present the perfect of what humanity has to supply. I lengthen my deepest condolences to those that misplaced their lives within the strike in Gaza.
‘There should be a swift, thorough, and neutral investigation into this incident.
Flickinger is a twin citizen of the US and Canada who was working as a part of the non-profit’s reduction staff.
He was killed alongside employees from Australia, Poland and the UK.
Three former British servicemen had been among the many victims. Former Royal Marines James Henderson and John Chapman and an ex-Military soldier James Kirby died within the drone strike.
World Central Kitchen employees collect across the our bodies of their colleagues after they had been transferred to Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah
WCK workers had been seen mourning their useless colleagues as their our bodies had been loaded into an ambulance
Lalzawmi ‘Zomi’ Frankcom (pictured), 44, from Melbourne , was killed together with three different worldwide help employees and a Palestinian driver, in Central Gaza, whereas working with the World Central Kitchen charity on Monday
The Polish man has additionally been named by authorities as Damian Soból (pictured), who labored for the charity bringing help into Gaza
They had been killed alongside aspect Palestinian Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25, Lalzawmi Frankcom, 43, from Australia, and Damian Sobol, 35, from Poland.
The charity employees had been ‘leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, the place the staff had unloaded greater than 100 tons of humanitarian meals help dropped at Gaza on the maritime route’ on the time of the strike.
That they had simply crossed in from the north after serving to ship help that had arrived hours earlier on a ship from Cyprus, sources have claimed, and had been killed on the Al Rashid Street, which runs parallel to the Mediterranean Sea.
Native Nael Eliyan, residing in a tent yards away, sprinted to the wreckage shortly after the precision R9X Hellfire missile slammed into the car.
‘Their accidents had been critical they usually died rapidly,’ he stated.
Harrowing photos confirmed how an enormous gap had been blown within the roof of 1 automotive, with its inside torn to shreds. One other car was lacking most of its rear finish.
Netanyahu acknowledged that Israeli forces had been in charge, saying the help employees had been killed by an ‘unintended strike’. He stated officers had been ‘checking completely’ what had occurred.
However help businesses accused Israel of intentionally concentrating on their workers. Netanyahu was underneath intense stress to clarify why the assault occurred – and to ensure that there might be no additional strikes in opposition to help employees.
James Henderson, 33, was travelling in a clearly marked automotive operated by World Central Kitchen, a charity offering meals to Palestinians within the conflict torn enclave, when the convoy was hit with three missiles fired by an IDF drone
John Chapman (pictured) and James Henderson had been travelling in a clearly marked automotive operated by World Central Kitchen (WCK), a charity offering meals to Palestinians within the war-torn enclave, when the convoy was hit with three missiles fired by an IDF drone
A British navy veteran named final evening by the BBC as James Kirby was additionally killed
The IDF responded to the airstrike deaths, with spokesperson Daniel Hagari saying: ‘Final evening, an incident befell in Gaza that resulted within the tragic dying of World Central Kitchen staff as they fulfilled their very important mission of bringing meals to folks in want.
‘As knowledgeable navy dedicated to worldwide regulation, we’re dedicated to analyzing our operations completely and transparently. I simply spoke to WCK Founder, Chef Jose Anders, and expressed the deepest condolences of the Israel Protection Forces to the households and your entire World Central Kitchen household.
‘We additionally categorical honest sorrow to our allied nations who’ve been doing and proceed to take action a lot to help these in want. We’ve got been reviewing the incident on the highest ranges to know the circumstances of what occurred and the way it occurred.
‘We might be opening a probe to look at this critical incident additional.’
Yesterday, ships carrying 240 tons of meals help had been reported to have turned again from Gaza within the wake of the bombing, including to the humanitarian disaster within the slender strip of land.
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