Politics

Israeli ambassador won’t be expelled, apologized for Gaza aid convoy attack: Deputy FM

The Israeli Ambassador apologized for “an incident unprecedented in the history of the civilized world, namely the bombing of a humanitarian convoy heading to the Gaza Strip,” said deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Szejna after meeting with ambassador Yacov Livne in the Foreign Ministry headquarters. He added that the ambassador will not be expelled.

“The meeting was very decisive in nature. On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I delivered a note of protest,” added Szejna.

Deputy FM announced that the body of Damian Soból, a Polish aid worker who died in the attack, will be transported to Poland by a military aircraft. He emphasized that this should happen “in the nearest moments or hours, not days.”

“We expect a transparent investigation into the attack on the humanitarian convoy in the Gaza Strip; we also demand access to all information to ensure that the matter is satisfactorily resolved. Furthermore, we want the regional prosecutor’s office in Przemyśl to be involved in the criminal proceedings against the soldiers who attacked the humanitarian convoy; here, we are dealing with Article 148 of the Polish Criminal Code, which pertains to homicide using explosive materials,” deputy FM Szejna stated.

Deputy FM added that in the note, the ministry demanded compensation for the victims of the attack, “primarily for the Polish citizen and their family, but on the condition that the family desires it.”

The aftermath of the attack on WCK aid convoy

Foreign ministry spokesman Paweł Wroński said that the preliminary results of the investigation by the Israel Defense Forces were presented at a night meeting in Tel-Aviv to a Polish representative. The report points out several mistakes made by the Israeli army.

“I want to strongly emphasize that the research and information [about the attack on the aid convoy in Gaza – TVP World] so far are unsatisfactory, but I perceived this meeting and the position of the Israeli ambassador as a change of tone,” Szejna said. The deputy FM also recalled that the President of Israel also issued an apology in this matter.

At around 10 a.m. local time, Israeli Ambassador Yacov Livne appeared at the headquarters of the Foreign Ministry in Warsaw, summoned by Polish authorities.

Spokesman Wroński was then unable to reveal details as he was shouted down by the gathered crowd, which chanted slogans like “Break relations with Israel.”

On Tuesday, seven volunteers of the humanitarian organization World Central Kitchen, including a Pole, Damian Soból, died in an Israeli army’s attack in Gaza. The vague statements of the Israeli ambassador following the incident sparked outrage among Polish politicians as well as on social media.
Source: TVP World, PAP
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