NICOSIA (Reuters) – World Central Kitchen (WCK) will resume operations in the Gaza Strip on Monday, one month after seven employees of the U.S.-based charity were killed in an Israeli airstrike. Announced.
Before it ceased operations, WCK had distributed more than 43 million meals in the Gaza Strip since October, representing 62% of all international NGO aid, by WCK's own calculations.
The charity said it was preparing 276 trucks, containing around 8 million meals, to pass through the Rafah crossing and would also send trucks from Jordan to the Gaza Strip.
war in Israel and Gaza
Erin Gore, the charity's chief executive, said: “The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire.” “We are returning to business with the same energy and dignity and are focused on feeding as many people as possible.”
The April 1 deaths prompted widespread condemnation and demands for explanation from Israel's allies, including the United States.
Israel said its investigation found serious errors and procedural violations by the military, and that it had fired two senior officers and reprimanded a senior commander.
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WCK is calling for an independent investigation.
Israel's six-month war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip follows an Oct. 7 attack by the militant group in southern Israel that took more than 250 hostages and killed about 1,200 people, according to an Israeli tally. did.
The Israeli attack has killed more than 34,000 people and created a humanitarian disaster for the enclave's more than 2 million residents, according to the Palestinian Health Authority.
Mr Gore said: “We have a decision to make: stop feeding altogether, or stop feeding altogether, in the midst of one of the worst hunger crises in history, or aid workers, aid workers and civilians are being threatened and killed. Do we continue to feed them knowing this?”
“This was the most difficult conversation we had, and we considered all points of view in our deliberations. In the end, we decided that we must continue to provide food and support people in their most difficult times. We must continue our mission of providing food.”
(Written by Michelle Cambus; Edited by Andrew Cawthorn)
Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters.
