The Biden administration is not supporting demands from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) chief José Andrés and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) for an independent, third-party investigation into the Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers with the WCK.
White House national security communications adviser, John Kirby, stated on Friday that the administration is examining an Israeli investigation into the military strike against the WCK workers and was considering whether an independent, international investigation would be necessary.
“We’re going to wait and see if there needs to be another investigation,” he said in a call with reporters.
Andrés issued a statement on Thursday asking the U.S., Australia, Canada, Poland, and the United Kingdom to demand an “an independent, third-party investigation into these attacks, including whether they were carried out intentionally or otherwise violated international law.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has referred to the strike that targeted the WCK workers as an unfortunate mistake. An initial investigation by an Israeli military watchdog led to the dismissal of two officers and a reprimand for three others.
However, some Democratic lawmakers, who have consistently supported Israel’s right to self-defense in its efforts to defeat Hamas, have expressed anger over the Israeli strike on the aid workers and emphasized the need to impose more consequences.
“The United States should join in the call for an independent and international investigation into Monday’s strike on World Central Kitchen volunteers, in which an American was killed,” said Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees.
Kaine also suggested that the U.S. should refrain from sending offensive weapons to Israel and instead prioritize defensive weapons.
The killing of seven aid workers adds to the more than 200 deaths of humanitarian aid workers in Gaza, and an estimated 30,000 Palestinians killed during Israel’s war against Hamas, a figure that includes an unknown number of Hamas combatants.
“Israel must have the capacity to defend itself against those — like Hamas — who would annihilate it. But more offensive weapons delivered at this moment will only further widen suffering in Israel, Gaza and the region,” Kaine said.
