Washington says investigation shows attack “was the result of a communication error between military units”
Aug. 30 (EUROPA PRESS) –
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller described the Israeli army’s shooting at a marked World Food Programme (WFP) vehicle that was part of a convoy coordinated with Israeli authorities in the Gaza Strip as “a deeply troubling incident.”
“The Israel Defense Forces’ shooting at a WFP vehicle in Gaza is a deeply worrying incident. Aid workers are there to help innocent civilians and Israel must ensure their protection,” he said on his social media profile X.
Earlier in the day, US Deputy Representative to the UN Robert Wood said Israel’s preliminary review indicated that the shooting of the vehicle was due to a “communication error” between Israeli military units. “We have urged them to immediately rectify the problems within their system that allowed this to happen,” he said.
However, he regretted that “almost eleven months after the start of this conflict, these problems are still common.” Wood used his address to the UN Security Council to express his concern about “another incident in which the IDF fired on a UNICEF vehicle.”
“These security incidents make the work of these organizations considerably more difficult. Such incidents should not occur. Israel must not only take responsibility for its mistakes, but also take concrete steps to ensure that the IDF does not fire on UN personnel again,” he said.
The US diplomat said that “all attacks and threatening rhetoric against the UN and humanitarian NGOs must stop,” stressing that “the rhetoric has put humanitarian actors at greater risk both in Gaza and around the world.”
He also stressed that Israel must refrain from carrying out military operations and issuing new evacuation orders during periods of the vaccination campaign in order to ensure that humanitarian workers have the “safe space and conditions to distribute vaccines and inoculate the at-risk population,” especially in a safe manner.
“The children’s lives depend on their success. The need is urgent,” he concluded, before expressing his “gratitude for their sacrifices and tireless work.” Finally, he clarified that although he pressures all parties to facilitate the work of humanitarian personnel, “it is Hamas’ actions” that put them and their families at risk.
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