'Israel' bombs aid convoy in Gaza despite prior coordination, kills 5
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The Israeli occupation forces bomb a humanitarian aid convoy in Gaza, as it has done before, despite coordination between the organization and the IOF.
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People inspect the site where World Central Kitchen workers were killed in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, April 2, 2024 (AP)
The Israeli occupation forces bombed an aid convoy organized by a US non-profit humanitarian organization in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of five individuals. To make matters worse, the convoy was targeted despite prior coordination with the Israeli occupation forces.
The convoy, organized by the Washington, DC-based non-profit organization Anera, was struck by an Israeli missile that specifically targeted the lead vehicle. Anera described the incident as "horrific" in a statement to The Washington Post and confirmed that the victims were employees of a local transport company.
The convoy was delivering medical supplies and fuel to a hospital in Rafah, southern Gaza, operated by the United Arab Emirates. The route had been pre-arranged and coordinated with the Israeli occupation forces to ensure safe passage.
This attack follows another recent incident where an Israeli military unit fired live ammunition at a vehicle clearly marked with the World Food Programme (WFP) logo in Gaza. This vehicle was also part of a convoy that had been fully coordinated with the Israeli military.
The US Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations stated that the Israeli occupation informed the US that a preliminary review concluded the shooting at the WFP-marked vehicle resulted from a "communication error" between Israeli military units.
'Unacceptable, unnecessary'
"This is totally unacceptable and the latest in a series of unnecessary security incidents that have endangered the lives of WFP's team in Gaza," Cindy McCain, director of the UN Food Agency, said of the Tuesday incident in which no one was injured.
In response to the incident, the WFP temporarily halted the movement of its staff throughout Gaza on Wednesday after at least 10 bullets struck a vehicle prominently displaying the organization's logo as it approached an Israeli military checkpoint.
The agency released a photograph of a white, UN-branded vehicle with its windows appearing damaged by several bullets.
This pattern of targeting humanitarian workers has become alarmingly frequent. On April 1, Israeli forces targeted a convoy managed by the World Central Kitchen, killing seven aid workers.
Since October 7, more than 280 humanitarian workers have been killed in Gaza, most of them employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), according to UN reports.
UNRWA has labeled Gaza as the "most dangerous place in the world for aid workers."
