GAZA, April 4 (Xinhua) -- World Central Kitchen (WCK), a non-profit aid organization, on Thursday called for an independent investigation into the killing of seven members in an Israeli aerial strike in central Gaza.
In a statement on its website, WCK said the aid workers killed on Monday were from Australia, Canada/United States (dual citizen), Gaza, Poland, and Britain.
WCK has asked the governments of Australia, Canada, U.S., Poland, and Britain to join it in demanding an independent, third-party investigation into these attacks, read the statement.
The statement clarified that the investigation would include whether the attacks "were carried out intentionally or otherwise violated international law," noting that it has asked the Israeli government to immediately preserve all documents, communications, video and audio recordings, and any other materials potentially relevant to the strikes.
The statement added that "an independent investigation is the only way to determine the truth of what happened, ensure transparency and accountability for those responsible, and prevent future attacks on humanitarian aid workers."
Israel on Tuesday assumed responsibility for the killing of the aid workers, saying it was "a tragic event in which our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants," and something that "happens in war."
In the statement, WCK denounced Israel's claim, stressing "it was a military attack," which involved multiple strikes targeting three WCK vehicles transporting civilians, all marked as WCK vehicles.
On Wednesday, six of the aid workers' bodies were transferred through the Rafah crossing to their countries for burial. The attack on the aid workers has met with condemnation from the United Nations, international, Arab, and local communities. ■
