Chef José Andrés condemned Israel’s war in Gaza as a “war against humanity itself” following the killing of seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian workers by Israeli troops. He called for an independent investigation into the attack and criticized Israel’s military offensive, comparing it to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine. President Joe Biden condemned the attack and threatened conditions on U.S. aid to Israel. Andrés expressed deep emotional distress over the incident and emphasized the need to hold accountable those responsible for targeting citizens and aid workers.
The partner of Jacob Flickinger, one of the seven World Central Kitchen aid workers killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, is pleading for answers and the truth of what happened. Sandy Leclerc, Flickinger's partner, emphasized the need for peace and called for world leaders to provide answers. The attack has sparked an international outcry, with President Biden expressing outrage and calling the strikes on humanitarian workers unacceptable. World Central Kitchen has called for an independent and international investigation into the airstrike, while Israeli officials maintain it was a "grave mistake."
British media reports suggest that the Israeli Spike missiles that killed aid workers from World Central Kitchen in the Gaza Strip were "absolutely perfectly accurate," likely fired by the IDF's Black Snake squadron equipped with a Hermes 450 drone. The nonprofit has called for a third-party investigation, while Israel claims it was a mistake. President Biden has expressed outrage and called for an immediate ceasefire in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel plans to adjust its tactics in the Gaza war after admitting to mistakenly killing seven aid workers in air strikes, including staff from the World Central Kitchen charity. The incident has sparked outrage and raised concerns about the civilian toll in the Palestinian enclave. An investigation is underway, and Israel has promised to make the findings public soon. The military acknowledges the mistake and plans to set up a joint operational coordination room with humanitarian agencies to prevent similar incidents in the future.
President Biden condemned the Israeli airstrike that killed seven food aid workers in Gaza, prompting criticism from some who called his reaction hypocritical given the U.S.'s own deadly drone strike in Kabul. Biden's remarks drew ire from critics who accused him of exploiting the mistake to amplify Hamas disinformation. Israel pledged to investigate the incident, expressing condolences to the aid workers' families and allies. The U.S. National Security Council stated there was no evidence of intentional targeting by Israel.
France has summoned Russia's ambassador over the killing of two French aid workers in Ukraine, promising sustained support for the Ukrainian military and denouncing the attack as "cowardly and outrageous." The Russian Foreign Ministry blamed France for fueling the conflict by supplying weapons to Ukraine. French Prime Minister pledged to increase arms shipments to Ukraine, and German Chancellor called for more European countries to provide weapons. The French government also accused Russia of operating a long-running online manipulation campaign targeting France.
Following a Russian attack that killed two French humanitarian workers in Kherson Oblast, foreign volunteers, NGO workers, and embassy staff are now prohibited from entering certain areas without permission from local authorities. The ban comes after the city of Beryslav, located in the region, was targeted by Russian forces. France plans to summon the Russian ambassador to condemn the killings, and the Kherson Oblast Military Administration stated that permission is required for foreign representatives to enter areas frequently shelled by Russian forces. This incident follows the deaths of two other foreign NGO workers in the region due to Russian shelling in September.
An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed Hani Jnena, a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) contractor, along with his family and in-laws. The U.S. development agency acknowledged the death and called for increased protection for humanitarian workers in the conflict. This incident highlights the dangers faced by aid workers in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which has resulted in the deaths of numerous civilians and aid workers.
The killing of Hani Jnena, a USAID contractor, along with his wife and two children in Gaza has sparked internal protest and frustration among USAID officials, who are urging the Biden administration to pressure Israel to limit civilian casualties. The conflict in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of humanitarian and development workers, including 135 United Nations relief workers, making it the deadliest conflict in the organization's history. Aid groups such as Save the Children have also suffered losses. USAID officials are calling for restrictions on military assistance to Israel and criticizing the lack of action from the White House. The White House claims to have raised concerns with Israel and has pushed for the establishment of a system to protect aid workers, but airstrikes in supposedly safer areas and communication blackouts have hindered their efforts.
The United Nations observed a minute's silence to honor the more than 100 employees of the UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, who were killed in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war. This is the largest toll of humanitarian workers in the UN's history. UN flags worldwide flew at half-mast. UNRWA staff in Gaza expressed appreciation for the gesture but emphasized the need to continue serving the people of Gaza. The UNRWA provides public services to Palestinian refugees, and many of its staff members are refugees themselves.
Nearly 300 orphans caught in the crossfire in Sudan's capital have been rescued in a daring and dangerous evacuation by humanitarian workers. The evacuations were carried out following the deaths of 67 children at the Mygoma orphanage in Khartoum. They died of starvation, dehydration and infections as fighting prevented staff from reaching the orphanage. In a risky operation, 297 children - about 200 of them below the age of two years - were taken by road to the relative safety of Wad Madani, in the south of Sudan.
Three World Food Programme (WFP) employees were killed and two others injured in an attack in North Darfur, Sudan. In a separate incident, a WFP-managed UN Humanitarian Air Service aircraft was significantly damaged at Khartoum International airport. As a result, WFP has temporarily halted all operations in Sudan. The organization demands immediate steps to guarantee the safety of its teams and partners, emphasizing that aid workers are neutral and should never be a target.
