ガザ慈善団体職員死亡に各国非難 イスラエル空爆

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】パレスチナ自治区ガザ地区で食料支援を行っていた米慈善団体「ワールド・セントラル・キッチン（ＷＣＫ）」の職員ら７人が、イスラエル軍の空爆で死亡した１日の事件を受け、各国はイスラエルへの非難を表明した。（写真は、「ワールド・セントラル・キッチン」職員の遺体近くで英国、ポーランド、オーストラリアのパスポート〈旅券〉を示す男性。パレスチナ自治区ガザ地区中部デイルアルバラのアルアクサ病院で）
　ＷＣＫによれば、死亡したのは英国人３人、オーストラリア人、ポーランド人、米・カナダ人各１人。パレスチナ人運転手も犠牲になった。
　ジョー・バイデン米大統領は、「憤りを覚えるとともに心を痛めている」と述べ、イスラエルに対し、今回の空爆に関する調査を「迅速に行って説明責任を果たし、結果を公表しなければならない」と強い表現で要請した。
　さらに、パレスチナ自治区での人道支援が困難なのは「イスラエルが援助要員への保護を万全に行っていないためだ」と指摘した。
　国連（ＵＮ）のアントニオ・グテレス事務総長は国連総会で、「許し難い」攻撃だと非難した上で、「今のようなやり方で戦争が行われている以上、避けられない結果だ」とし、「人道的な即時停戦と人質全員の無条件解放、ガザへの人道支援拡大が急務であることを改めて浮き彫りにした」と演説した。
　英国はイスラエル大使を召喚し、「明確な非難」を表明。英首相官邸は、リシ・スナク首相は同国民が死者に含まれていることに「衝撃」を受け、イスラエルのベンヤミン・ネタニヤフ首相にも「援助要員の殺害は言語道断だ」と伝えたとしている。
　フランスのステファヌ・セジュルネ外相は、「こうした悲劇を正当化することはできない」と述べ、「人道支援従事者の保護は、すべての人が固守しなければならない道徳的・法的責務」との考えを示した。
　ネタニヤフ氏は、「意図しない」攻撃だと認めたものの、謝罪はしていない。イスラエル軍は調査を約束し、結果を「包み隠さず明らかにする」としている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/04/03-17:55）

World powers widely condemned an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip that killed seven charity staff delivering desperately needed aid to the war-torn territory.
World Central Kitchen -- one of two NGOs spearheading efforts to distribute aid brought by boat -- said a targeted Israeli strike on Monday killed Australian, British, Palestinian, Polish and US-Canadian staff.
US President Joe Biden said he was outraged and heartbroken.
In a strongly worded statement, he said Israel's investigation of the strike must be swift, it must bring accountability, and its findings must be made public.
Biden added that the provision of humanitarian relief in the Palestinian territory has been difficult because Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians.
The United Nations says the war has left almost 200 aid workers dead, including more than 175 members of the UN's staff.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the strike unconscionable but added that it was an inevitable result of the way the war is being conducted.
It demonstrates yet again the urgent need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the expansion of humanitarian aid into Gaza, he said in a speech to the UN General Assembly.
Israel's army acknowledged on Wednesday it had committed a grave mistake.
It shouldn't have happened, IDF chief Herzi Halevi said in a video message, as he blamed the strike on a misidentification -- at night during a war in very complex conditions.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he called WCK founder, chef Jose Andres, to express his deep sorrow and sincere apologies over the tragic loss of life.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike was unintentional but stopped short of apologising for the deaths that he described as a tragic case. The Israeli army has vowed to hold an investigation and promised to share our findings transparently.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was shocked and saddened after learning that British nationals were among those killed.
He spoke to Netanyahu and told the Israeli leader that he was appalled by the killing of aid workers, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement.
The UK summoned the Israeli ambassador to express its unequivocal condemnation.
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said that nothing justifies such a tragedy, adding that protecting humanitarian workers is a moral and legal imperative that everyone must adhere to.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese slammed the completely unacceptable attack, called it a tragedy that should never have occurred, and offered sincere condolences to the family of Australian volunteer Lalzawmi Zomi Frankcom, who was killed in the strike.
She just wanted to help out through this charity. That says everything about the character of this young woman, Albanese said.
- 'Indiscriminate killing' -
The founder and leader of World Central Kitchen, Spanish-born US-based chef Andres, said he was heartbroken and grieving for their families and friends and our whole WCK family.
The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing, he wrote on social media. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon.
The charity said it had coordinated its movements with the Israeli army and was travelling in vehicles branded with its logo.
It has now paused its operations in Gaza.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who on Tuesday was visiting a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan, said I expect and demand that the Israeli government clarify as soon as possible the circumstances of this brutal attack.
The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who is also Spanish, said that despite all the demands to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, we see new innocent casualties.
Warsaw said it asked the Israeli ambassador for urgent explanations about the incident, which killed one Polish citizen, and offered condolences to the family of our brave volunteer.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said the country had also opened its own inquiry into the aid worker's death and Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Szejna said that Israel should compensate the families of the aid workers killed.
The authorities should think about who should be held criminally responsible for pressing a certain button and how to compensate the families of the victims -- even if it's impossible to do so with money, Szejna told Radio Zet.
Criticism also came from Beijing, which said it was shocked by the strike.
Since Hamas's October 7 attacks triggered the war, Gaza has been under a near-complete blockade, with the United Nations accusing Israel of preventing deliveries of humanitarian aid.
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