The move also sheds new light on an emotional statement by President Biden, who said he was “outraged and heartbroken” by the tragedy and insisted that an event like this would never happen again.
“They were feeding starving civilians in the middle of a war,” Biden said. “They were brave and selfless.”
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
The Israeli government acknowledged Monday's airstrike was “unintentional” and said the military would conduct a “transparent” investigation and publish the results.
According to the US, the State Department approved the transfer of more than 1,000 MK82 500-pound bombs, more than 1,000 small-diameter bombs, and fuses for MK80 bombs, all years before the latest fighting between Israel and Hamas began. By authorization granted by Congress. The officials, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive arms deal.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed the authorization and said it was granted “prior to” the Israeli aircraft attacking the support convoy.
the US government has the authority It suspends weapons packages at any time before delivery, but a spokesperson said that likely won't happen. Until 2025 and beyond. In this case, that hasn't happened yet.
When asked why the Biden administration did not at least pause the subsequent process, Until something happened or the Israelis The investigation has been completed, but a spokesperson had no further comment.
Officials have not disclosed what kind of munitions landed on the aid truck, but a former State Department weapons expert who resigned in protest of the administration's policy said the small-caliber bombs the U.S. gave to Israel were “definitely comparable.” said Josh Paul of the home. Gaza policy.
Biden said in the following statement: The attack marked the sharpest criticism yet of Israel's treatment of humanitarian workers, which has killed more people than any other recent conflict.
“Israel is not doing enough to protect aid workers who are delivering desperately needed aid to civilians. Incidents like yesterday should never happen,” Biden said. Told.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the slain workers, who included Australian, British, Palestinian Territories, Polish and dual U.S.-Canadian citizens, were “heroes.”
“They must be protected. There must not be a situation where people who are just trying to help their fellow citizens end up putting themselves at grave risk,” he said.
Some Democratic supporters of the Biden administration criticized such statements, saying they make little difference if U.S. actions convey unconditional support for Israel's military operations in Gaza.
“Until there are substantive consequences, this outrage serves no purpose,” Ben Rhodes, a former foreign policy adviser to President Barack Obama, told X.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We obviously don't care what America says, what matters is what America does.”
Republicans in Congress broadly support arms transfers to Israel and have defended Israel's tactics and methods in the six-month conflict. Former President Donald Trump, who is certain to be the Republican nominee in this year's election, called the October 7 Hamas killings in southern Israel “one of the saddest things I've ever seen.” , said Israel needed to end the war immediately.
“We have to see it through to the end,” he told an Israeli newspaper last month.
World Central Kitchen on Thursday called for an independent investigation into the attack and urged the home countries of the slain workers to join charities in calling for an independent investigation.
The charity said the airstrike hit three of its vehicles as they traveled through the Gaza Strip on a route coordinated and approved by the Israeli military. The workers died shortly after overseeing the unloading of 100 tons of food shipped to the enclave by sea.
José Andres, the celebrity chef who founded World Central Kitchen, claimed that Israel was systematically targeting aid workers “car by car.”
“This wasn't just an unfortunate situation where you dropped a bomb in the wrong place,” he told Reuters.
“This was over a distance of 1.5 to 1.8 kilometers and a very distinct humanitarian convoy with signs at the front and on the roof and a very colorful logo that we were very proud of.” he said. “We are very clear about who we are and what we do.”
Israel launched a military offensive in the Gaza Strip after Hamas-led militants rampaged across the border on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in subsequent Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, and the majority of the dead are women. and is said to be a child.
There are chronic shortages of food, water and medicine as the Israeli siege has overwhelmed the health system and left dozens of children dead from malnutrition and starvation, according to the United Nations.
Dire need is forcing humanitarian workers around the world to provide aid to besieged enclaves, but Monday's killings are forcing aid groups to reassess the security environment.
The United Nations relief agency has suspended its night operations to carry out a safety assessment, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. At least two other aid groups also announced they would suspend operations in Gaza, citing safety concerns for their staff. According to the United Nations, about 200 aid workers have been killed in the war, most of them Palestinians.
The arms transfer represents a small portion, worth millions of dollars, of a much larger foreign military sale that was authorized by Congress years ago but never fully implemented. do. Using older cases means the State Department does not need to provide new notification to Congress, even though the geopolitical and humanitarian situation has changed significantly since the sale was approved.
Asked Tuesday about the State Department's role in continued arms transfers, Blinken cited regional threats to Israel from Iran and Hezbollah and said the weapons “are in deterrence to avoid further conflict.” . They go to replenish supplies and inventory. ”
But U.S. weapons are also being used in the Gaza Strip, and U.S. intelligence officials and many Democrats say extremist groups seeking retaliation for U.S. government policies could pose a security threat to the United States. I am concerned that there is.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told MSNBC on Wednesday, “Every moment that the nightmarish humanitarian situation continues in the Gaza Strip, there will be a day when America's security is compromised because we “This is because we have a global responsibility along with the rest of the world.”
“The United States needs to stop sending military aid until there is a commitment to further expand humanitarian access,” Murphy added. “Not only because we hope to have some influence on decision-making within Israel, but also because we believe it will actually help protect us from some of the counterattacks that will occur as terrorist recruitment increases. It’s also because I’m thinking about it.”
