Sunak 'appalled' by killing of British aid workers and 'demands' investigation in phone call with Netanyahu
2 April 2024, 20:28 | Updated: 2 April 2024, 22:18
Rishi Sunak has demanded an investigation into the deaths of three British aid workers in Gaza in a phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu, Downing Street has said.
The Number Ten spokesperson said Sunak was "appalled" by the killing of the aid workers, including three British nationals, in an airstrike in Gaza on Monday.
They said the PM "demanded a thorough and transparent independent investigation into what happened" during the call with the Israeli Prime Minister on Tuesday evening.
Seven people were killed while travelling in marked vehicles as part of a World Central Kitchen charity convoy on Gaza’s coastal road in Deir Balah, central Gaza, yesterday.
Netanyahu has admitted they were killed in an "unintentional" Israeli strike.
Earlier on Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was "absolutely unacceptable" that aid workers were killed by the Israeli Defense Force.
Trudeau added he was "heartbroken" for the families of those killed.
The deaths of aid workers in Gaza are "completely unacceptable",
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said the deaths are "completely unacceptable" as he called on Israel to explain what happened in the airstrike.
The spokesperson revealed Sunak told Netanyahu far too many aid workers and ordinary civilians have lost their lives in Gaza and the situation is "increasingly intolerable".
They added the UK expects to see "immediate action by Israel to end restrictions on humanitarian aid, deconflict with the UN and aid agencies, protect civilians and repair vital infrastructure like hospitals and water networks"
'Humanitarian catastrophe'
The Prime Minister also reiterated that Israel’s rightful aim of defeating Hamas would not be achieved by allowing a "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza.
It comes as the first two Britons to die following the strike are pictured for the first time, with John Chapman, 57, and James Henderson, 33, revealed to be former special forces officers.
33-year-old James Henderson, a former British Special Forces officer, was the first British victim to be pictured after he is believed to have died while volunteering in the region for international aid charity World Central Kitchen (WCK).
Mr Henderson, from Falmouth, Cornwall, was a member of the Royal Marines for six years and worked in security following his exit from the armed forces, before volunteering for the WCK.
Mr Chapman is the second of the three Britons killed, a former soldier who had only been in Gaza a few weeks, according to reports.
The ex-Royal Marine and married father-of-two had been working for the same security company as Henderson, The Sun reported.
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The charity confirmed today that three of the seven aid workers killed "unintentionally" by Israel were British.
Mr Sunak previously told broadcasters during a visit to the north east of England: "We are asking Israel to investigate what happened urgently, because clearly there are questions that need to be answered."
He added: "My thoughts are with their friends and family.
"They are doing fantastic work bringing alleviation to the suffering that many are experiencing in Gaza," he continued.
"They should be praised and commended for what they are doing.
"They need to be allowed to do that work unhindered and it is incumbent on Israel to make sure they can do that."
The convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tonnes of humanitarian food aid taken to Gaza on the maritime route, WCK said.
The aid workers reportedly travelled in two armoured cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft-skin vehicle.