Israel Gaza war live: World Central Kitchen calls for independent investigation after fatal Israeli airstrikes

Humanitarian food charity World Central Kitchen has called for an independent investigation into the Israeli air strike that killed seven of its aid workers in Gaza on Monday.

WCK issued a statement on Thursday morning calling for the governments of Australia, Canada, the US, the UK and Poland – the countries from which six of the workers hailed – to join a third-party investigation into the drone bombardment on the charity’s convoy.

The investigation must establish “whether [the drone strikes] were carried out intentionally or otherwise violated international law”, it said in a statement on Thursday.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to speak by phone on Thursday in their first direct communication since 18 March.

On Tuesday Mr Biden delivered some of his strongest criticism of Israel since it began its war on Hamas, saying he was “outraged and heartbroken” by the deaths of the humanitarian workers.

“Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians,” the president said in a statement.

Mr Netanyahu wrote on X that Israel “deeply regrets” the deaths of the aid workers.

Humanitarian food charity World Central Kitchen has called for an independent investigation into the Israeli air strike that killed seven of its aid workers in Gaza on Monday.

WCK issued a statement on Thursday morning calling for the governments of Australia, Canada, the US, the UK and Poland – the countries from which six of the workers hailed – to join a third-party investigation into the drone bombardment on the charity’s convoy.

The investigation must establish “whether [the drone strikes] were carried out intentionally or otherwise