Israeli attack on humanitarian aid workers in Gaza draws ire from EU, Belgium

By Nur Asena Erturk

The EU foreign policy chief condemned Tuesday the Israeli attack on humanitarian aid workers in the Gaza Strip.

“I pay tribute to the @WCKitchen staff members killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza. I condemn the attack and urge an investigation.

"Despite all the demands to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, we see new innocent casualties,” Josep Borrell said on X, referring to the US-based aid organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers.

He called for the immediate implementation of the UN Security Council resolution for a cease-fire, full humanitarian access, and a “reinforced protection of civilians.”

Belgian Development Minister Caroline Gennez also wrote on X, describing the death of seven humanitarian workers as “heartbreaking” and “unacceptable.”

“Justice and accountability from Israel is needed. Again: every war has rules,” Gennez added, reiterating her call for a cease-fire.

Seven workers of the WCK were killed on Monday in an Israeli airstrike on their vehicle in Gaza's Deir al-Balah city. They were from Australia, Poland, the UK, a dual citizen of the US and Canada, and Palestine.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas which killed some 1,200 people.

Over 32,800 Palestinians have since been killed and 75,300 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which on Thursday asked it to do more to prevent famine in Gaza.