Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoke by phone with Jose Andres, founder of the charity organization World Central Kitchen. According to a statement provided to UAE media, the minister praised the organization's efforts in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The conversation took place a day after the IDF concluded its investigation into the killing of seven WCK humanitarian aid workers on April 1.
“IDF takes seriously the serious incident that claimed the lives of seven innocent humanitarian workers. We express our deep sadness for their loss and extend our condolences to the families and the WCK organization. “We believe that the vital humanitarian work of international aid agencies is of paramount importance, and we will continue to work to coordinate and support them, while ensuring their safety and protecting lives.” said.
The IDF has expressed deep sadness, and other officials have said the same.
UAE suspends humanitarian aid operations
The UAE suspended humanitarian operations through the maritime corridor on April 2. The UAE supported the movement of aid from Cyprus to Gaza and was an important partner of WCK. WCK also temporarily suspended support after the incident.
A ship carrying 240 tons of food was scheduled to deliver aid to Gaza and was unloaded on April 1st. 100 tons were unloaded in Gaza and seven aid workers were helping move it to a warehouse.
On the evening of April 1, their car was hit by an airstrike. This left many questions about the future of aid to northern Gaza. Many countries also support airlift to Gaza.
Israel opened the Erez crossing for the first time since the Hamas offensive began on October 7. Currently, aid supplies can also flow in through Ashdod.
The UAE is a major aid provider in Gaza and has also set up a field hospital there. It is one of six field hospitals in Gaza supported by countries to help Gazans.
The UAE also sent a flight to Al Arish in Egypt. The UAE was a key partner in the 2020 Abraham Accords. The killing of the aid worker casts doubt on how the UAE and WCK will proceed in Gaza, casting a shadow on charity work and the UAE's attempts to support northern Gaza.
“Sheikh Abdullah strongly condemns and condemns Israel's targeting of the car carrying the World Central Kitchen team, and expresses his deep condolences and heartfelt condolences to the president of the organization, the families of the victims, and their country. expressed our sympathies,” the UAE's Sharjah24 said. the media reported.
“He emphasized the importance of protecting the lives of all civilians and that they should not become targets of the ongoing escalation in the region, and reiterated the UAE's full commitment to the World Central Kitchen and its team. We confirmed our solidarity.”
The UAE continues to express its gratitude to WCK for its important work. Particular mention was made of northern Gaza. This statement appears to indicate that there are new opportunities for the UAE, WCK and others to continue their operations in Gaza. The question is how that will happen following the killing of seven humanitarian workers.
The opening of Eles is an important development in this regard. It remains to be seen how that will be managed, and how a US floating dock will be built off the coast of Gaza. It is also not yet known whether aid supplies bound for Gaza that had to be brought back to Cyprus will be returned via Ashdod.
