Biden not backing demands for independent probe into World Central Kitchen strike

The Biden administration is not backing calls for an independent, third-party investigation into the Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers with the World Central Kitchen (WCK), bucking demands from the nongovernmental organization’s chief José Andrés and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.).

John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, said Friday the administration is reviewing an Israeli investigation into the military strike against the WCK workers and was “reserving judgment” on whether an independent, international investigation would be needed. 

“We’re going to reserve judgment on whether there needs to be another investigation,” he said in a call with reporters.

Andrés put out a statement Thursday calling for 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 called the strike that targeted the WCK workers an unfortunate mistake. An initial investigation carried out by an Israeli military watchdog resulted in the army dismissing two officers and reprimanding three others. 

But some Democratic lawmakers, consistently supportive of Israel’s right to self-defense in its goal to defeat Hamas, have expressed outrage over the Israeli strike on the aid workers and raised 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 added that the U.S. should hold back on sending offensive weapons to Israel and instead prioritize defensive weapons.

The killing of seven aid workers add to the more than 200 deaths of humanitarian aid workers killed in Gaza, and an estimated 30,000 Palestinians killed amid 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.