H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, sent cables of condolence to Penny Wong, Australian Foreign Minister; Radoslaw Sikorski, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Poland; David Cameron, British Foreign Secretary; Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State; Mélanie Jolie, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada; Ali Muhammad Younis, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Abu Dhabi; and Jose Andres, Founder of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) organisation over the victims of the Israeli targeting of a team of humanitarian relief workers from World Central Kitchen.
Sheikh Abdullah also expressed the UAE’s condemnation in the strongest terms of the Israeli occupation forces targeting with an air strike on a WCK aid convoy which resulted in the death of seven members of its team and a number of injuries. The WCK personnel were in Gaza to enhance the humanitarian response provided to civilians in the northern Gaza Strip who are suffering from a tragic situation and facing famine.
He expressed his deep regret for the loss of life, and his condolences to the families of the victims, wishing a speedy recovery to all those injured.
The UAE top diplomat stressed the UAE’s call on Israeli authorities to conduct an urgent, independent and transparent investigation, and accept full responsibility, and to strengthen the humanitarian response to meet the needs of civilians affected by the current crisis.
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed reiterated the importance of focusing regional and international efforts on protecting civilians and providing them with immediate humanitarian assistance, in addition to intensifying efforts aimed at halting escalation in the occupied Palestinian Territory and in the region.