A Canadian man killed along with six other aid workers in the Gaza Strip on Monday is a military veteran from Quebec who leaves behind a partner and a one-year-old son.
Jacob Flickinger, 33, was one of seven people in a convoy of World Central Kitchen vehicles when it was hit by an Israeli airstrike in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described as a tragic mistake.
Flickinger害羞草研究所檚 father, John, said in a Facebook post that his son害羞草研究所檚 death is a 害羞草研究所渉eartbreaking tragedy害羞草研究所� but that he died doing what he loved.
害羞草研究所淢y son, Jacob, was killed Monday delivering food aid to starving families in Gaza,害羞草研究所� John Flickinger wrote.
害羞草研究所淗e died doing what he loved and serving others through his work with the World Central Kitchen.害羞草研究所�
Flickinger was a dual Canadian and U.S. citizen. The Canadian Armed Forces confirmed Wednesday that Flickinger served in the Canadian military as an infantryman in Quebec害羞草研究所檚 Royal 22e Regiment.
A Go Fund Me page has been started to raise funds for a funeral and a trust fund for Flickinger害羞草研究所檚 son. More than $14,000 had already been raised by mid-afternoon Wednesday.
The page says Flickinger had been working for World Central Kitchen in Gaza since early March.
Last fall, he travelled with the charity to Acapulco, Mexico, to provide food aid after Hurricane Otis slammed into Mexico害羞草研究所檚 Pacific coast.
The organization Restaurantes en Acapulco changed their main Facebook photo to feature a picture of Flickinger, clad in a World Central Kitchen T-shirt and sunglasses, walking down a street with another aid worker.
In a separate video posted on their feed, Flickinger is stopped by a local while handing out bottled water. He smiles and listens to the man talk for a short time before shaking his hand and thanking him.
Also killed in Monday害羞草研究所檚 airstrike were Lalzawmi (Zomi) Frankcom, 43, from Australia, who shared a video less than a week before she died working at the warehouse near where the convoy was hit.
Polish national Damian Sobol, 35, began volunteering for aid groups when his hometown of Przemysl became a haven for refugees fleeing Russia害羞草研究所檚 bombing in Ukraine.
Palestinian Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25, was working for the charity as a driver.
There were also three British military veterans killed, all providing security to to the team, including John Chapman, 57, James Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47.
They were in a convoy of three vehicles leaving a warehouse in Deir al-balah in central Gaza, after delivering more than 100 tonnes of food. The aid was about one-quarter of a delivery that arrived in Gaza at a makeshift pier built by World Central Kitchen out of the rubble left by earlier airstrikes around Gaza.
World Central Kitchen in mid-March became the first aid organization to get supplies in by sea to Gaza in more than two decades. Monday害羞草研究所檚 delivery was part of the second sea shipment that came from Cyprus. It included rice, pasta, flour, legumes, canned vegetables, and proteins as well as a special shipment of dates.
The dates, provided by the United Arab Emirates, were 害羞草研究所渢o provide a sense of comfort to Palestinians observing Ramadan during the darkest times imaginable,害羞草研究所� World Central Kitchen said on its website.
害羞草研究所淒ates are traditionally eaten to break the daily fast.害羞草研究所�
The jetty was built with Israel害羞草研究所檚 permission and the convoy害羞草研究所檚 movements were reported to Israel ahead of time, the organization said.
Israel has some explaining to do about how the convoy ended up as a target, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday. Netanyahu has called the targeting inadvertent 害羞草研究所� something that 害羞草研究所渉appens in war,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淭he world needs very clear answers as to how this happened,害羞草研究所� Trudeau said.
Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly, who is in Belgium attending a NATO foreign ministers meeting, said she spoke to Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz on Tuesday night.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e calling for a full investigation,害羞草研究所� she said.
On social media, Katz offered condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to their respective countries.
害羞草研究所淭he (Israel Defence Force) and decision-makers are doing and will do everything to prevent harm to civilians,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淭he incident will be investigated by qualified authorities to ensure that necessary conclusions are drawn to guarantee the safety and security of aid workers going forward.害羞草研究所�
More than 200 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists launched an attack on Israel killing more than 1,200 people. Israel害羞草研究所檚 massive military response has resulted in the deaths of more than 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry.
In an essay published Wednesday in the New York Times, World Central Kitchen founder Jos茅 Andr茅s pleaded with Israel to start the 害羞草研究所渓ong journey to peace.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲e know Israelis. Israelis, in their heart of hearts, know that food is not a weapon of war,害羞草研究所� Andr茅s said.
害羞草研究所淚srael is better than the way this war is being waged. It is better than blocking food and medicine to civilians. It is better than killing aid workers who had co-ordinated their movements with the Israel Defense Forces.害羞草研究所�
Andr茅s said the deaths of his seven colleagues are 害羞草研究所渢he direct result害羞草研究所� of Israeli policy, which 害羞草研究所渟queezed humanitarian aid to desperate levels.害羞草研究所�
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