UN says Israeli air strike that killed food aid workers ‘may amount to a war crime’
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A photo of Mr Damian Sobol, a worker for World Central Kitchen killed in an Israeli air strike, is displayed by mourners in Przemysl, Poland
PHOTO: REUTERS
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GENEVA – The UN Human Rights Office (UNHRO) said on April 5 that attacks against people involved in humanitarian assistance may amount to war crimes, following a deadly strike by Israel against aid workers in the Gaza Strip.
“Attacking people or objects involved in humanitarian assistance may amount to a war crime,” UNHRO spokesman Jeremy Laurence said. “As the High Commissioner has repeatedly stated, impunity must end.”
Seven workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK), which provides food relief in crisis and conflict zones, were killed when their convoy was hit on April 1
“The Israeli air strikes that killed World Central Kitchen personnel underline the horrific conditions under which humanitarian workers are operating in Gaza,” Mr Laurence said.
“International law requires all parties to respect and protect humanitarian relief personnel and ensure their safety, security, and freedom of movement.”
He said the suspension of aid delivery and distribution by NGOs, including WCK in the wake of the killings, increased the “already real risk of more deaths from famine and disease at larger scale”.
Israel said on April 4 it would adjust its tactics in the Gaza war after the killings that its military had acknowledged were a major mistake.
Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres rejected Israel’s position that the air strike was a “regrettable incident”, saying many humanitarian personnel have been attacked previously. REUTERS
