The United States is demanding additional information from the Israeli military regarding the death of a Save the Children staffer in Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Saturday, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Tuesday.
“Our view is and has been that humanitarian workers must be protected so they can safely deliver aid, whether it be in Gaza or whether it be truly anywhere in the world,” Patel remarked during a press briefing, adding that Washington was “outraged” by the incident.
While he refrained from blaming Israel for the aid worker’s death, he urged Jerusalem to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident and hold accountable anyone found to have violated the law.
The London-based international aid organization said on Saturday that its employee Ahmad Faisal Isleem al-Qadi, 39, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier in the day.
“He was killed early Saturday afternoon as he was returning home to his wife and three-year-old daughter from the mosque. Up to 17 people were reported killed in at least two separate attacks in Khan Yunis on Saturday,” it said.
Save the Children also called for an investigation. As of time of publication, there had been no comment from the Israel Defense Forces.
