Israel minister denies Gaza aid convoy strike was deliberate

A member of the Israeli cabinet has rejected allegations that Israeli forces intentionally targeted seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK) in Gaza.

José Andrés, the founder of WCK, has accused Israel of systematically targeting his team members, vehicle by vehicle.

Nir Barkat, Israel’s Minister of Economy, dismissed the claims as baseless in an interview with BBC News, labelling them as “nonsense.”

Israel maintains that the strikes which killed the aid workers were a severe error and has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation.

Speaking to BBC’s Caitríona Perry, Barkat expressed Israel’s deep regret over the loss of the seven aid workers, saying their deaths were unfortunate incidents of friendly fire that occur in times of conflict.

He stated that casualties among aid workers and civilians are regrettable but inevitable aspects of warfare.

The killings have sparked widespread international condemnation. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has demanded a comprehensive and impartial independent inquiry, while US President Joe Biden criticised Israel for failing to safeguard aid workers and civilians.

“The United States has repeatedly urged Israel to deconflict their military operations against Hamas with humanitarian operations, in order to avoid civilian casualties,” Biden said.