Blinken calls slain Gaza aid workers ‘heroes’ and demands ‘impartial’ probe into Israel’s aid convoy strike

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for Israel to conduct an “impartial” investigation into how the Israeli Defence Forces came to conduct drone strikes on a marked aid convoy belonging to the World Central Kitchen in Gaza, killing seven of the nonprofit’s employees in the Gaza Strip.

Speaking in Paris on Tuesday, Mr Blinken called the slain aid workers “heroes” who represent “the best of what humanity has to offer,” and noted that a “record number” of humanitarian workers have been killed in Israel’s six-month-old war against Hamas.

“They run into the fire, not away from it… they have to be protected,” he said. “We shouldn't have a situation where people who are simply trying to help their fellow human beings are themselves at grave risk”.

The top US diplomat added that US officials have “spoken directly” with Israeli government officials about the strikes and have “urged” Israel to run “a swift, a thorough, and impartial investigation to understand exactly what happened”.

“As we have throughout this conflict, we've impressed upon the Israelis the absolute imperative of doing more to protect innocent civilian lives… as well as to get more humanitarian assistance to more people more effectively,” he said.

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