IDF cancels vacation after Iranian threat.World’s central kitchen demands independent investigation into attack on Gaza aid convoy

TEL AVIV, Israel – President Biden is scheduled to hold an important phone call with the Israeli prime minister after an Israeli airstrike on Gaza killed seven aid workers. Chef José Andres, founder of World Central Kitchen, has accused Israel of systematically targeting the group.

More than 250 Holocaust survivors have joined an international effort to share their stories of loss and survival with the world as anti-Semitism rises in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked war in the Gaza Strip. I shared it with middle school students.

The Survivor Speakers Bureau was launched today by the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (also known as the Claims Conference). The Speakers Bureau connects Holocaust survivors and students virtually and in-person.

“A Holocaust survivor speaker station of this size and scope is unprecedented,” said Gideon Taylor, president of the Claims Council. “At a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise dramatically, this program tells history and educates for the future.”

During the Holocaust, six million European Jews and other ethnic minorities were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators.

The death toll in the Gaza Strip since the start of the Israel-Hamas war has now exceeded 33,000, the enclave’s health ministry announced this morning.

Approximately 75,668 people were reported injured in the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s explanation for the deaths of seven aid workers in the Gaza Strip, including one Australian, is “not sufficient”, Australia’s prime minister has said.

Lalzaumi “Zomi” Francom, who works for the U.S.-based charity World Central Kitchen, and six others were traveling in a convoy after delivering food aid to countries such as the United States and Australia. Israel has been blamed for the deadly airstrike.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in Sydney today: “We need accountability for how this incident happened, but what is not enough is that this is ‘just a product of war’. Statements like,” he said.

Prime Minister Albanon demanded “full accountability” from Israel, including in a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday.

The Israeli military this morning canceled leave for all combat troops, amid concerns about escalating relations with Iran following this week’s attack on Syria’s Tehran consulate that left scores of military leaders dead. be.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement: “Following the assessment of the situation, it has been decided to temporarily suspend leave for all combat units of the Israel Defense Forces. The Israel Defense Forces are in a state of war and the deployment of the force is being continuously evaluated. ” he said. requirements. “

The Israel Defense Forces announced yesterday that it had drafted reservists to strengthen the country’s air defenses, and Israeli media reported that GPS services had been suspended in Tel Aviv to avert a possible guided missile attack. It appears to be for a reason.

A Palestinian boy looks into the wreckage of the World Central Kitchen convoy that crashed in Deir El Bala.

Aid group World Central Kitchen today called on the governments of Australia, Canada, the United States, Poland and the United Kingdom to launch independent investigations into the Israeli airstrike that killed seven workers in the Gaza Strip.

The relief group said in a statement that the investigation must examine “whether it was carried out deliberately or in violation of international law.”

“The aid workers killed were Australian, dual US and Canadian nationals, and nationals of Gaza, Poland and the UK,” the statement said. The group added that it “urged the Israeli government to immediately preserve all documents, communications, video and/or audio recordings, and other materials that may be related to the April 1 attack.”

World Central Kitchen said: “An independent investigation is the only way to find out what happened, ensure transparency and accountability for those responsible, and prevent future attacks on humanitarian workers.” said.

Israeli authorities said they were investigating the attack, saying it was caused by a misidentification.

Jose Andrés has called for a US government investigation into the Israeli airstrike that killed seven aid workers in the Gaza Strip, claiming they were targeted “systematically, vehicle by vehicle.”

Israeli authorities have launched an investigation into the attack on three World Central Kitchen vehicles, saying a misidentification led to the attack. Andres denied the claims in an interview with Reuters, saying his team was working closely with the Israel Defense Forces and that the attack occurred in a military-controlled conflict zone.

“This was a distance of over 1.5 to 1.8 kilometers and a very distinct humanitarian convoy with signs on the front and on the roof and a very colorful logo that we were very proud of.” said Andres.

He added: “We are very clear about who we are and what we do.”

Andres said the respective home countries of the six slain foreign aid workers, including the United States and Britain, should launch investigations.

WASHINGTON – Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu are scheduled to speak by phone today, according to a U.S. official familiar with the call.

It will be the first direct communication since seven aid workers were killed in an Israeli offensive in Gaza this week.

The discussion comes after Biden issued his strongest criticism of Israel on Tuesday since the start of the war with Hamas, saying he was “outraged and heartbroken” by the deaths of humanitarian workers at World Central Kitchen. “I’m doing it,” he said.

“Israel is not doing enough to protect aid workers who are delivering desperately needed aid to civilians,” he said in a statement.

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