LONDON — The Israeli army’s killing of 15 humanitarian workers in Gaza last month must be investigated, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday.
Asked about the deaths of the emergency workers in south Gaza on March 23, Starmer told members of parliament: “There’s got to be an investigation into that.”
The Israeli military has been criticized for killing the medics and for changing its story around the incident. It claimed Monday the killings had occurred “due to a sense of threat,” and that six Hamas militants were near the incident, according to Reuters. A more in-depth investigation is still being carried out, the military said.
Its latest statement came after it initially claimed unmarked vehicles were fired on in the dark. A video recovered from the mobile phone of one of those killed later emerged showing clearly marked ambulances and fire engines seemingly contradicting that claim.
Sarah Champion, chair of the U.K. parliament’s International Development Committee, told Starmer humanitarian workers felt Israel was not being held to account, and questioned if the United Kingdom would be pushing for an inquiry into the 15 humanitarian workers killed.
After backing an investigation, Starmer added: “We have to be absolutely clear that we’re not just talking about that isolated incident. There hasn’t been enough aid getting into Gaza at speed and at pace for a very long time.”
The International Criminal Court in November issued an arrest warrant for Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu for allegedly using “starvation as a method of warfare,” as well as other war crimes.
The prime minister also said the U.K. needed to “put our foot in the door for a process” toward a two-state solution for Israel and for Palestinians even though it seemed “remote” today.
Starmer has trod an uncomfortable line on the Israel-Palestine conflict. He upset Netanyahu and some Israel supporters by halting some arms sales to Israel, but is also maligned by the pro-Palestinian movement over the support the British military provides to Israel and arms it continues to export to the nation.
UK wants investigation into Israel’s killing of Gaza aid workers
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