Killing of aid workers a cry to stop Gaza war
- Attack that killed seven as they sought to provide food amid humanitarian crisis, along with strike on Iran’s mission in Syria, should focus minds on averting further bloodshed
The death and devastation wreaked by the war in Gaza has lasted six months and the bloodshed continues, despite a recent United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire. There is a danger the world will become inured to the violence.
If so, two recent attacks should focus minds. Seven aid workers were killed by an Israeli military strike this week as they bravely sought to provide food desperately needed amid a deepening humanitarian crisis.
The victims included Australian, British, Polish, Palestinian and US- Canadian employees of charity World Central Kitchen (WCK).
Israel described the killings as a “tragic accident”. There has been widespread criticism around the world.
But the appalling attack should never have occurred. It is, as the United Nations has pointed out, an inevitable consequence of the way in which the war is being waged.
The indiscriminate killing must stop.
There is an urgent need for supplies and that requires a safe environment for aid workers. But 180 of them have been killed so far.
WCK has, understandably, suspended its operations. Conditions must be put in place to ensure relief can flood in.
Concerns have also been raised over a deadly air strike on a building within Iran’s embassy complex in Damascus. Iran has vowed to avenge the attack, widely believed to have been carried out by Israel.
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The strike risks further escalating the Gaza conflict amid heightened tensions in the region. Violence linked to the war has already spread to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.
Israel’s key backer, the United States, might reflect on the broader impact of the strong support it has shown for its ally. A recent survey conducted by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore showed a surge of support among people in Southeast Asia for alignment with China, rather than the US, with the Gaza war a prime factor.
The conflict erupted with a horrific attack by Hamas on October 7, which left more than 1,000 dead in Israel and others taken hostage. Israel’s response has led to more than 33,000 deaths in Gaza, mostly civilians.
A ceasefire allowing the safe and orderly supply of humanitarian aid is long overdue. Every effort is needed to end the suffering and bring peace.
