Israel faced anger from some of its closest allies, on Tuesday, after killing seven aid workers in airstrikes in Gaza City.
The killing prompted an international charity to suspend food deliveries to desperate Palestinians. It also raised alarm about the relief effort for the territory’s mounting humanitarian crisis.
The deaths of the World Central Kitchen workers threatened to set back efforts by the U.S. and other countries.
They are making efforts to open a maritime corridor for aid from Cyprus. The efforts are anticipated to help ease near-starvation conditions in Gaza’s north.
Ships laden with 240 tons of aid from the group turned back from Gaza just a day after arriving.
Other humanitarian aid organisations suspended operations in Gaza after the airstrikes, saying it was no longer safe to offer help.
Israel has allowed only a trickle of food and supplies into devastated northern Gaza, where experts say famine is imminent.
The dead from Monday night’s strikes included three British citizens, Polish and Australian nationals, a Canadian-American dual national and a Palestinian.
Those countries have been key backers of Israel’s nearly six-month-old offensive in Gaza, and several of them sharply condemned the killings.
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Israel already faces growing isolation amid mounting international criticism of the Gaza assault.
On the same day as the deadly airstrikes, Israel stirred more fears by apparently striking Iran’s consulate in Damascus, killing two Iranian generals.
Israeli government moved to shut down a foreign media outlet — Qatari-owned Al Jazeera Television.
The strikes that killed World Central Kitchen workers, led the charity to suspend delivery of vital food aid to Gaza.
The hit on the charity’s convoy also highlighted what critics have called Israel’s indiscriminate bombing and lack of regard for civilian casualties in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that the military had carried out the “unintended strike … on innocent people”.
He said officials were investigating and would work to ensure it did not happen again. (AP News)
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