KEY POINTS
- Australia demands full accountability over killings of WCK staffers
- Polish FM says Israeli army has taken responsibility for strike that killed 7 food aid workers
- A rescued 71-year-old hostage talks about the surreal moment when he was freed from Hamas captivity
The Israel-Hamas war has entered Day 179 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late on Tuesday afternoon seemingly confirmed that the Israeli army did strike a humanitarian food aid convoy in the Gaza Strip Monday.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Tuesday vowed that Israel "will be punished" after the assassination of Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander for Syria and Lebanon.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been sworn in for his third term at a time when tensions in the Middle East run high and Egypt, alongside Qatar, is under increasing pressure to push Hamas to agree to a ceasefire with Israel.
In war-torn Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) expressed sorrow for the killing of seven staff members of American food charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) in an airstrike attributed to Israel.
- Targeting of food aid convoy 'one mistake too many': Former IDF intelligence deputy head
- Israeli 'forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants in the Gaza Strip': Netanyahu
- Khamenei pays tribute to 'selfless' Zahedi, blasts 'usurping' Israel
- Defense minister says Israel operates everywhere after IRGC commander's assassination
- Explosive-laden drone explodes in Jordan near Israeli port city of Eilat: Local media
- US informs Iran it was not involved in Damascus airstrike: Report
- Japan to resume UNRWA funding under a monitoring mechanism
- UK's Cameron demands 'urgent' explanation from Israel over WKC employees' deaths
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold talks in Paris following the deaths of WCK staffers delivering food aid for Gaza residents when the charity organization's convoy was struck by what the WCK said was an Israeli airstrike.
In Israel's northern border with Lebanon, Iranian-backed Hezbollah claimed an attack on an IDF post near the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Suspected gunshots were heard in the Red Sea after an entity claiming to be the Yemeni Navy hailed a commercial vessel off of Houthi-controlled Hodeidah, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
The fighting in Gaza, which sparked tensions across the Middle East, stems from the violent history of the Israel-Palestine conflict that erupted on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants broke into Gaza's border with Israel, murdering over a thousand people and dragging over 250 hostages into the Gaza Strip, some 130 of which are still in Hamas captivity.
Gaza has suffered the brunt of the fighting, as the Hamas-run health ministry said more than 32,000 have been killed so far and over 75,000 others have been wounded.
The live update has ended.
Israeli MFA says food convoy strike will be investigated
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Tuesday said the strike that killed seven food aid workers "will be investigated by qualified authorities" in its first statement since WCK attributed the strike to the Israeli army.
"IDF and decision-makers are doing and will do everything to prevent harm to civilians," it said.
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) April 2, 2024
Britain demands explanation after British nationals' deaths
David Cameron, the United Kingdom's foreign affairs secretary, on Tuesday said he has spoken to Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz about the deaths of seven WCK food charity personnel in an airstrike attributed to Israel. Three of the deceased are British nationals.
"Israel must urgently explain" the circumstances that led to the strike and "make major changes" to its military campaign in Gaza to ensure that aid workers on the ground are not harmed, he said.
I spoke with Israeli FM @Israel_Katz to underline that the deaths of @WCKitchen aid workers in Gaza, including three British Nationals, are completely unacceptable.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) April 2, 2024
Israel must urgently explain how this happened & make major changes to ensure safety of aid workers on the ground.
Japan lifts temporary halt in UNRWA funding, urges embattled agency to regain world's trust
Japan on Tuesday announced that it will resume funding to the embattled United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA).
Japanese foreign affairs minister Yoko Kamikawa said she had "no choice" but to temporarily halt funding to the agency following allegations that some of its employees were directly involved in Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre, as per a Google-translated release from Japan's foreign affairs ministry.
She noted that Japan has recommended due diligence across the agency and transparency and "traceability of project funds." She added that "UNRWA must regain trust in order to fulfill its role."
Japan will lift the temporary suspension of UNRWA funding but will continue to monitor the agency's movements to ensure that Japanese funds are used appropriately. She warned that Tokyo will "take all necessary measures in the event of unauthorized use [of Japan's donations]."
US informs Iran it had 'no involvement' in Damascus attack: Report
The White House has informed Iran that it had "no involvement' in the attack in the Syrian capital Monday that killed a top IRGC commander, local Walla reported, citing two senior administration officials.
As previously reported, an airstrike targeting a building adjacent to the Iranian consulate in Damascus killed Zahedi, and Iran said Israel was responsible for the attack. Israel did not deny or confirm the strike, but the country's defense minister hinted that Israel does operate "everywhere."
Drone explodes in Jordan near Israeli airport
A drone suspected to be carrying explosives exploded in an open area in Jordan Tuesday, local media reported, citing authorities. The explosion occurred near Israel's Ramon Airport, northeast of the Israeli port city of Eilat.
The port city has been under attack by various Iranian-backed militias since the Israel-Hamas war started.
Israel operates 'everywhere': Defense minister
Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday said Israel operates "everywhere, every day, in order to prevent our enemies from gaining strength and in order to make it clear to anyone who threatens us – all over the Middle East – that the price for such action will be a big one."
His comments were made a day after the assassination of Zahedi in Syria that Iran said Israel was responsible for.
Khamenei heaps praise on assassinated IRGC commander
The Iranian leader on Tuesday praised Zahedi, whom he said was a "bold, selfless general of Islam." He said the IRGC commander's assassination was a "criminal act" committed by "usurping" Israel.
As reported earlier, Khamenei vowed that the strike that killed Zahedi and several other top IRGC leaders will not go unanswered.
Netanyahu seemingly confirms IDF strike on WCK food convoy
Netanyahu late Wednesday afternoon seemingly confirmed that Israeli forces "unintentionally" struck a food convoy of the WCK in the Gaza Strip. "This happens in war," he said.
"Unfortunately, in the past day, there was a tragic even in which our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants in the Gaza Strip," Netanyahu said in a statement that initially provided the Israeli public with an update on his recovery from a weekend hernia surgery.
He said the Israeli government was conducting a "thorough inquiry" into the incident and is in contact with respective governments. "We will do everything to prevent a recurrence," he said.
Unfortunately, in the past day there was a tragic event in which our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants in the Gaza Strip. This happens in war. We are conducting a thorough inquiry and are in contact with the governments. We will do everything to prevent a recurrence.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 2, 2024
While the Israeli leader did not directly mention the WCK nor the exact details of the "tragic event" he was referring to, Poland's foreign minister said on X about an hour earlier that the Israeli army has "accepted responsibility for the attack" on a humanitarian aid convoy that killed a Polish food aid worker and six others.
WCK food convoy targeting 'one mistake too many': Ex-IDF intelligence official
Ret. Col. Jacques Neriah, a former deputy head of assessment in the Israeli army's intelligence unit, said Tuesday that the targeting of a food aid convoy was "one mistake too many."
"We have just been witnessing lots of those mistakes during the campaign, I mean Israeli [army] firing at hostages, killing three hostages ... and other incidents of the sort," he told local i24 News.
'This is one mistake too many,' says @JerusalemCenter's Dr. Jacques Neriah about the alleged Israeli strike that killed Gaza aid workers
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) April 2, 2024
'In times of war, sometimes, judgment is erroneous. This is what happened here,' he adds pic.twitter.com/J1dmlfnOSH
Rescued hostage talks rescue from Hamas captivity
Luis Har, 71, who was rescued by Israeli forces from Hamas captivity earlier this year, has spoken out about the surreal moment he woke up to an explosion and someone called out his name to reveal he was being rescued.
"On the way I even asked one of the soldiers – 'Tell me, are you sure we're not in a movie?' Because I wasn't sure. So much had happened. Is it real, is it not real," Har said, as per Reuters.
Har is among more than 250 hostages dragged by Hamas operatives from Israel into Gaza on the deadly Oct. 7 massacre that sparked the raging war. He previously spoke to Mail Online about his experiences in captivity, including being told "always" that the Israeli president wants to get him killed.
Two minutes you won't regret: Luis Har, who was rescued by the IDF after 129 days spent as a Hamas hostage, spoke to @MailOnline in his first English interview since the daring operation pic.twitter.com/M7j8gQzxQa
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) March 27, 2024
He has joined the hostages' loved ones' group that continues to call for the release of more than 130 abductees still being held in Gaza nearly six months into the war. "Enough with their families' suffering. It's urgent. Every day that passes is terrible," he told the outlet.
Polish FM says Israeli army has taken responsibility for 'attack'
Poland's foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski on Tuesday said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that "the Israeli army accepted responsibility for the attack" that killed a Polish volunteer and six others in Gaza, as per a Google translation of his post.
Sikorski previously said he has reached out to the Israeli ambassador to demand "urgent answers" regarding the airstrike that targeted a WCK food convoy.
Składam najszczersze kondolencje rodzinie naszego rodaka, Pana Damiana.
— Radosław Sikorski 🇵🇱🇪🇺 (@sikorskiradek) April 2, 2024
Za atak odpowiedzialność przyjęła armia izraelska. Rozmawiałem już z ambasadorem 🇮🇱, za chwilę będę rozmawiał telefonicznie z MSZ 🇮🇱 Israelem Katzem. pic.twitter.com/D6DM0BYb9A
Australia calls for 'full accountability' following Australian aid worker's death
An Australian humanitarian aid worker was among seven killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike in Gaza targeting a food convoy of the WCK Tuesday.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called for "full accountability," and revealed that the government has directly reached out to the Netanyahu government regarding the incident and has contacted the Israeli ambassador.
He also reiterated that Australia "has had a very clear position" regarding the war as it supports calls for a sustainable ceasefire.
🇮🇱🇵🇸🇦🇺 ISRAEL - OPT - AUSTRALIA
— Freddie Ponton 🇫🇷 (@LFCNewsMedia) April 2, 2024
Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese says he expects full accountability for the deaths following the "indiscriminate killing” of “several” staff from the US-based aid group World Central Kitchen (WCK). pic.twitter.com/hGqW2dCK22
Suspected gunshots heard after merchant ship hailed in Red Sea
A commercial vessel was hailed by an entity "claiming to be Yemeni Navy" some 150 nautical miles off of Houthi-held Hodeidah Monday, the UKMTO said. After the hailing, "a crew member of the vessel reported that they heard suspected gun shots."
UKMTO WARNING INCIDENT 059
— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) April 1, 2024
ATTACK - UPDATE 001https://t.co/5GlTxWxyST#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/iSXLbTWcZQ
Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels have been running amok in the Red and Arabian Seas and the Gulf of Aden since November. They pledged solidarity with Gaza and have been targeting commercial shipping lanes in Middle Eastern waters.
Hezbollah claims attack on Israeli army sites
Iranian-backed Hezbollah on Tuesday claimed attacks on "a number of sites" belonging to the IDF. The army bases are located near the Israeli-Lebanese border, the powerful terror organization said.
This comes following the assassination of a top IRGC commander in Syria when the building adjacent to the Iranian embassy was struck in an alleged Israeli strike.
Blinken in Paris to discuss Gaza
The U.S. Secretary of State is in Paris Tuesday for talks on the Ukraine war, as well as the war and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
His Paris trip comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East following the deaths of seven WCK employees in an airstrike attributed to Israel. The aid workers were on their way to deliver food aid to Gaza civilians when their convoy was struck.
Israeli army expresses 'deepest condolences' after WCK employees' deaths
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, chief of the IDF's spokesperson's unit, on Tuesday expressed the Israeli army's "deepest condolences" following the deaths of seven staffers with the U.S.-based food aid organization in what the WCK said was an Israeli air strike Monday night.
"We also express sincere sorrow to our allied nations who have been doing and continue to do so much to assist those in need," he said.
IDF spokesperson, RAdm. Daniel Hagari, spoke with @WCKitchen founder, @chefjoseandres, and expressed the IDF's deepest condolences to the entire World Central Kitchen family.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 2, 2024
The work of WCK is critical. pic.twitter.com/nRUYZVxif3
Hagari said the WCK played a "vital" role in providing humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza and said the IDF was reviewing the incident "in the highest levels to understand the circumstances of what happened and how it happened."
He said the IDF will launch an investigation into the strike to help the Israeli army "reduce the risk of such an event from occurring again."
Hagari's statements came after the food aid group said in a statement earlier Tuesday that seven of its members "have been killed in an IDF strike in Gaza."
Egyptian president sworn in for third term
Sisi was sworn in Tuesday for his third term as Egypt's president. His is set to remain president through 2030 and vowed to "remain faithful to my work, my eyes seeing only your interests and this country's."
The Egyptian leader's six-year term comes at tension-packed times for the Middle East as his country serves as a key mediator alongside Qatar for a ceasefire in Gaza. Egypt played a major role in the previous seven-day truce, but the warring sides have proven more difficult to convince to achieve another ceasefire.
Read the full story here.
Iran vows retribution after Zahedi's assassination
Khamenei said Tuesday that Israel "will be punished at the hands of our brave men," adding that Iran will "make them regret this crime and the other ones," referring to the earlier killings of top IRGC military advisors in alleged Israeli airstrikes.
Zahedi has had a four-decade career in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. He held various succession of commands in the force and is the latest in a string of assassinations targeting Iranian military leadership.
Aside from Zahedi, his deputy and other several other prominent leaders in the IRGC's foreign operations arms, the Quds Force, were killed in the Monday airstrike targeting a building adjacent to the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria's capital.
Read the full story here.
The killing of General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, IRGC Quds Force commander in Syria, and two other Quds Force generals, on Iranian sovereign territory in Damascus, is a tremendous blow against Iran, the most significant strike against them since the killing of Qasem Soleimani. pic.twitter.com/QB5NPDzrDz
— Rɪᴄʜᴀʀᴅ Kᴇᴍᴘ ⋁ (@COLRICHARDKEMP) April 1, 2024
