Following the deadly Israeli strike on World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza, American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) workers are now expressing fear of being targeted. Sandra Rasheed, the Palestine Country Director for ANERA, stated that their team on the ground is worried and scared about potential targeting.
Rasheed believes that the convoy attack was a deliberate act by Israel, citing the multiple direct hits on the vehicles as evidence of targeting. She emphasized that the aid workers were providing essential services, including over a million meals a week, and their absence would have a significant impact on Palestinian civilians.
In response to the incident, both ANERA and World Central Kitchen have suspended their operations in Gaza. Rasheed highlighted the already challenging humanitarian conditions in Gaza, warning that the situation could worsen without the aid provided by these organizations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that Israeli forces unintentionally struck innocent people in Gaza and assured a thorough investigation into the matter. The Israel Defense Force's chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, described the strike as a mistake resulting from misidentification and clarified that it was not intended to harm the aid workers.
