Father of worker killed by 'Israel' says son insisted to help in Gaza
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"He was hesitant to go, he's a new father. He has a beautiful 18-month-old son," says the father of Jacob Flickinger whom "Israel" deliberately killed while on duty.
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Palestinians inspect a vehicle with the logo of the World Central Kitchen wrecked by an Israeli airstrike in Deir al Balah, Gaza, Tuesday, April 2, 2024. (AP)
After the fatal Israeli airstrike on the World Central Kitchen convoy this week, the father of one of the seven workers killed, US-Canadian citizen Jacob Flickinger, said his son was hesitant to go to Gaza at first but eventually, he followed his heart and headed to the Strip to offer much-needed help.
During interviews for US media, his parents John Flickinger and Sylvie Labrecque paid tribute to their son stating that he began work with the World Central Kitchen in Mexico last year before traveling to Gaza.
To CBS News, his father said, "He was hesitant to go, he's a new father. He has a beautiful 18-month-old son," adding, "But he felt the need and he of course needs to support his family."
In a separate talk with BBC News, he expressed that his son felt "reasonably confident that he could accomplish the mission safely" in Gaza and that he had a "desire to serve and to help others."
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"He felt that the World Central Kitchen knew what they were doing there. They were in a de-conflicted zone, controlled by the IDF," the father said, noting that his son was a Canadian Armed Forces veteran.
Founder of the World Central Kitchen Chef Jose Andres says the Israeli occupation forces targeted food aid workers in #Gaza "systematically, car by car" and have carried out more than three strikes on the aid workers' convoy.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 4, 2024
Andres explained that the food convoy route was… pic.twitter.com/L9hucmF5WN
"Now my grandson will grow up without having his father," he said.
Jacob's partner, Sandy Leclerc, told ABC News that she wants the "truth of what happened, because this situation is so unclear."
"I am devastated by this news... He was a part of me," she said.
The World Central Kitchen, established in 2010 by Spanish-American chef Jose Andres, has paused its operations in Gaza since the attack, which also left one Palestinian worker killed, in addition to citizens from Australia, Britain, and Poland.
The bodies handed over to the UN included Damian Soból, a 35-year-old from Poland; Jacob Flickinger, a 33-year-old dual US-Canadian citizen; Lalzawmi Frankcom, a 43-year-old Australian citizen; and three British citizens: John Chapman, 57; James Henderson, 33; and James Kirby, 47.
"It’s very complicated to understand. … America is going to be sending its Navy and its military to do humanitarian work, but at the same time weapons provided by America … are killing civilians," Andrés told Reuters in an interview.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an obvious attempt at soothing public opinion, claimed while smiling in a video release that the targeting of a convoy of the NGO's vehicles was a mere "accident". It should be worth noting that the convoy was struck three times.
NETANYAHU SMILING AND LAUGHING AFTER ISRAEL KILLED FOREIGN AID WORKERS
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) April 2, 2024
“Unfortunately, a tragic instance of our forces unintentionally harming innocent people in the Gaza Strip. It happens in war.
We'll investigate it. We're in contact with the governments, and we will do… pic.twitter.com/4qngtrSJoX
Israeli media outlet Haaretz reported, citing Israeli security sources, that after surviving one hit and attempting to seek refuge in another car, the aid crew moved to a third and were ultimately finished off by the Israeli forces there.
