Canada, U.S. demand Israel respect humanitarian law after World Central Kitchen strike in Gaza

Some of Israel's closest allies, including Canada and the United States, have condemned the deaths of seven aid workers who were killed by airstrikes in Gaza, promptingmultiple charities to suspend food deliveries to Palestinians on the brink of starvation.

The deaths on Monday of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers threatened to set back efforts by the U.S. and other countries to open a maritime corridor for aid from Cyprus to help ease the desperate conditions in northern Gaza.

Among the dead were citizens of some of Israel's closest allies, including Jacob Flickingera dual citizen of Canada and the United States, a retired memberof the Canadian Armed Forces and father to an 18-month old son.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeausaid Wednesday officials had spoken to Iddo Moed, Israel's ambassador to Canada, to express "our dismay at the unacceptable deaths."

"The world needs very clear answers as to how this happened," Trudeau said at a housing announcement in Toronto.

Foreign Affairs MinisterMlanieJolysaid she has spoken to her Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz.

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Jacob Flickinger, one of seven World Central Kitchen workers killed in a strike in Gaza, leaves behind a wife and 18-month-old son in Costa Rica. 'They were a happy little family,' his mother, Sylvie Labrecque, told CBC News. 'And now things have changed drastically.'

"Israel needs to respect international humanitarian law, and we will make sure that is the case," said Joly, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Wednesday.

Thedead also included one Polish citizen, one Australian and three U.K. citizens; countries that have been key backersofIsrael'snearly six-month-old offensive in Gaza.

U.S. President Joe Biden earlier issued an unusually blunt criticismofIsrael, suggesting Washington's closest ally in the Mideast is not doing enough to protect humanitarian efforts in Gaza.

"TheUnitedStateshas repeatedly urged Israel to de-conflict their military operations against Hamas with humanitarian operations, in order to avoid civilian casualties," he said.

Britain, Poland and Australia joined Canada and the U.S. in calling on Israel for answers.

In the wake of the deaths, ships still laden withsome240 tonsofaid from WCK turned back from Gaza just a day after arriving, according to officials in Cyprus. Other aid organizations alsosuspended operationsin Gaza, saying it was too dangerous to offer help. Israel has allowed only a trickleoffood and supplies into Gaza's devastated north, whereexperts say famine is imminent.

Targeted 'systematically'

WCK founderJos Andrs alleged on Wednesdaythe workerswere targeted "systematically, car by car."

"This was not just a bad luck situation where, 'Oops, we dropped the bomb in the wrong place' This was [airstrikes] over 1.5, 1.8 kilometres with a very defined humanitarian convoy that had signs in the top, in the roof," he told Reuters.

"What I know is that we were targeted deliberately, nonstop until everybody was dead in this convoy."

Israel'smilitary chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, saida preliminary investigation early Wednesday concluded the strikes were a "grave mistake."

"It was a mistake that followed a misidentification at night during a war in very complex conditions. It shouldn't have happened," he said in a video statement.

He said an independent body would conduct a "thorough investigation" that would be completed inthecoming days.

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After World Central Kitchen said it would pause operations in the region after an Israeli airstrike killed seven international aid workers, Palestinians who relied on the charity for food lamented the impact it will have on people in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier acknowledgedthe"unintended strike ...oninnocent people" and said officials would work to ensure it does not happen again.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav has orderedtheopeningofa joint situation room enabling co-ordination betweenthemilitary and aid groups.

WCK says it had co-ordinated withtheIsraeli military overthemovementofits vehicles.

Despite that, three of them, moving at large distances apart, were hit in succession. They were incinerated and mangled, indicating multiple targeted strikes.

At least oneofthevehicles hadthecharity's logo printed across its roof to make it identifiable fromtheair theordnance punched a large hole throughthat roof.

Footage of the bodies at a nearby hospital in Deir al-Balah showed severalofthem wearing protective gear withthecharity's logo.

The deaths have highlighted what critics have calledIsrael'sindiscriminate bombing and lackofregard for civilian casualties in Gaza.

Israel already faces growing isolation over Gaza.Onthesame day asthedeadly airstrikes, Israel stirred more fears by apparently striking Iran's consulate in Damascus and killing two Iranian generals.Thegovernment also moved to shut down a foreign media outlet Qatari-owned Al Jazeera television.

Deaths slow aid deliveries

Thedeaths sent a further chill through UNagencies and other aid groups that have said for months that sending truck convoys around Gaza particularly inthenorth has been extremely difficult becauseofthe Israeli military's failure to either grant permission or ensure safe passage. Israel has barred UNRWA,themain UNagency in Gaza, from making deliveries tothenorth.

TheU.S. and other countries have been working to set upthesea passage from Cyprus to get aroundthedifficulties.

WCK was key tothenew route. It andtheUnitedArab Emirates sent apilot shipmentlast month. Their second deliveryofaround 400 tonsoffood and supplies arrived on three ships hours beforethestrikesontheconvoy.

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Dr. Marwan Al-Hams, director of Abu Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, decried the recent killing of aid workers who died in a strike the Israel Defence Forces has called unintentional adding that Israel's weapons 'don't differentiate' between Palestinians and foreigners.

Around 100 tons were unloaded beforethecharity suspended operations, andtherest was being taken back to Cyprus, Cypriot Foreign Ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis said.

Still, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides saidTuesdaythat ship deliveries would continue.

Anera, a Washington-based aid group that has been operating inthePalestinian territories for decades, said that inthewakeofthestrikes it was takingthe"unprecedented" stepofpausing its own operations in Gaza, where it had been helping to provide around 150,000 meals daily.

"Theescalating risks associated with aid delivery leave us with no choice," it said in a statement.

Jamie McGoldrick,theUN humanitarian co-ordinator forthePalestinian territories, saidthestrikes were "not an isolated incident."TheUNsays more than 180 humanitarian workers have been killed inthewar.

"This is nearly three timesthedeath toll recorded in any single conflict in a year," he said.

Thewar began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel in a surprise attackonOct. 7, killingsome1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage. Israel's responding offensive has killed more than 32,900 people in Gaza, according toGaza's Health Ministry.