As Israeli occupation force continue relentless airstrikes in occupied Palestinian territories, the White House on Thursday called for a swift and thorough investigation into an Israeli airstrike on a UN food distribution facility in Gaza.
Although the Israeli authorities claimed the airstrike killed a Hamas commander, Palestinian health officials said it killed four more people, including a UN worker.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters the United States was very concerned about the strike and called for a swift investigation by Israel to ascertain what exactly happened.
In a related development, the European Union’s top humanitarian aid official said he had seen no evidence from Israel to back its accusations against staff from the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA). The EU said UNRWA should continue playing a “critical” role in Gaza.
UNRWA provides aid and services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza and across the region, but it has been in crisis since Israel accused a dozen of its staff of involvement in the Oct 7 Hamas attacks against Israel.
These Israeli accusations prompted the United States, UNRWA’s biggest donor, and some others to pause funding, putting the agency’s future in doubt.
A few days ago, the UNRWA chief expressed cautious optimism that some donors would soon return, though US officials said Washington’s pause in funding might become permanent due to opposition in Congress.
