UK, Israeli premiers discuss aid workers in Gaza killed by Israeli airstrikes

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) – In a Tuesday phone call, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the Israeli airstrikes killing of food charity workers in the Gaza Strip, including three UK citizens – an incident that has provoked furor worldwide.

During the call, Sunak said he was "appalled" by the killing of aid workers on Monday and demanded a thorough and transparent independent investigation into what happened.

"The Prime Minister said far too many aid workers and ordinary civilians have lost their lives in Gaza,” said a Prime Minister's Office statement, calling the situation “increasingly intolerable."

Earlier Tuesday, World Central Kitchen said seven of its humanitarian aid workers were killed in Monday's Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip.

The seven workers for the US-based group who were killed were nationals of Australia, Poland, the UK, and Palestine, as well as a US-Canadian dual citizen.

After the "targeted attack," the group said it was pausing operations in the region.

The statement said the UK expects to see immediate action by Israel to end restrictions on humanitarian aid, deconflict with the UN and aid agencies, protect civilians, and repair vital infrastructure like hospitals and water networks.

Sunak also reiterated that "Israel’s rightful aim of defeating Hamas would not be achieved by allowing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza," the statement added.

In addition to killing some 33,000 people since Oct. 7, the Israel offensive and siege of the strip has been blamed for near-famine conditions among over 2 million Palestinians there, and for attacks killing both aid workers and civilians seeking humanitarian aid.