Insaf Abbas
BBC News

Image source, Mark Townsend/Facebook

A friend of James Kirby, one of the three British men killed in Gaza, has told the BBC that seeing the suffering of the people in Gaza would have "made him want to do something immediately".

Mark Townsend served with James in Afghanistan in 2011, and they quickly became close friends.

"I did numerous patrols with him. I was a medic and taught him advanced first aid, which he used many times both in Afghanistan and beyond.

"No matter how tired at the end of a patrol, he always made sure everyone was safe and well before thinking about himself," he says.

Mark says he had a tear in his eye when a friend, who also served with them both in Afghanistan, sent him a link to news of James's death.

"James's heart was the biggest part of his body. The suffering that people are obviously going through in Gaza would have made him want to do something immediately.

"He was a team leader, extremely professional, and extremely kind," he adds.

Israel's ambassador to Poland has been invited to talks after seven aid workers were killed by an Israeli air strike in Gaza, Polish media reports.

One of the aid workers - Damian Sobol - was Polish.

Andrzej Szejna, Poland's deputy foreign minister, tells Polish state news agency PAP he will discuss "the new situation in Polish-Israeli relations and about the moral, political and financial responsibility for the event that recently took place in the Gaza Strip" with the ambassador.

The Friday meeting announcement comes after Polish prosecutors earlier announced an investigation into Sobol's death.

The family of killed aid worker Lalzawmi "Zomi" Frankcom say she would be "heartbroken" if her death stopped aid reaching people in Gaza.

Frankcom, an Australian national, was one of seven aid workers for charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) killed in an Israeli strike on their convoy on Monday.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, her family said the deaths "should never have happened" and "the lives of humanitarian workers should always be protected".

Several aid groups, including WCK, have suspended their operations in Gaza in response to Monday's strike.

“Zomi would be heartbroken if this incident, as tragic as it is, prevented aid from being given to those in need," the family adds.

US resists calls to put conditions on use of weapons in Gazapublished at 16:50 British Summer Time 3 April

16:50 BST 3 April

Jeremy Bowen
International editor, reporting from Northern Israel

So far, President Biden and his aides have resisted calls to put conditions on the use of American weapons in Gaza, or even to turn off the supply line.

While the weapons still arrive, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who depends on hardline Jewish ultranationalists to stay in office, might feel he can still afford to defy President Biden.

A major test will be the offensive Israel wants to attack Hamas in Rafah, plans the US believes would compound the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

American interests and Joe Biden's political prospects in an election year have already been damaged by what is seen in many countries as complicity with Israel.

In another change this week, Netanyahu has come back to work after two days off for hernia surgery to huge demonstrations demanding his resignation and early elections for a new parliament.

• Read more from Jeremy Bowen's analysis here

Image source, EPA

David Lammy, the UK's shadow foreign secretary, says the government should suspend offensive arms sales to Israel if there's a "clear risk" it has contravened international law.

Lammy repeats his call for the government to publish internal legal advice on whether Israel is in breach of international law.

Speaking about the seven aid workers killed in Gaza on Monday, Lammy says: "Israel must face serious consequences, not just tough rhetoric, for their appalling deaths."

The Labour mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, tells BBC Radio London that "we need to know" what the government's legal advice is and "if it says what people suspect it says, then the government should be halting sales".

Rishi Sunak has said the UK has a "very careful export licensing regime" for arms sales.

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg has just been speaking at a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels.

He says he condemns Monday's strike in Gaza, and welcomes Israel's investigation into the incident.

He adds that the strike demonstrates war has "very serious consequences for civilians".

"I welcome the efforts by the UK and US and other Nato allies to facilitate some kind of ceasefire and political solution to this conflict," he says.

The White House says it does not expect the Israeli air strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza on Monday to impact ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says discussions are ongoing about how to get more aid into Gaza by sea.

"The ceasefire and hostage negotiations are ongoing. I wouldn't anticipate any particular impact on those discussions as a result of the strike," Kirby says.

Yesterday the Cypriot government said ships carrying aid to Gaza were turned back after the attack on the aid workers.

The convoy carrying seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers should never have been attacked, says the Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

He said the convoy was clearly marked with the WCK logo, adding that "hungry people will go unfed" because the charity paused their operations after the incident.

Dr Tedros added that his organisation continues to work in Gaza "under extreme danger". He called for a better deconfliction system so that aid convoys can move safely, and for more entry points into northern Gaza.

Image source, Reuters

The Israel-Gaza war is at a crossroadspublished at 15:39 British Summer Time 3 April

15:39 BST 3 April

Jeremy Bowen
International editor, reporting from Northern Israel

Image source, Getty Images

The killing of foreign aid workers in Gaza might finally exhaust the considerable patience of Israel's allies, led by the United States.

Israel and Egypt have banned foreign journalists from entering Gaza, except on occasional, highly controlled and brief visits with the Israeli military. Journalists are also denied access to a war when the parties fighting it have something to hide.

But even without foreign reporters on the scene, evidence is piling up that Israel is not, as it claims, respecting its obligations under the laws of war to respect civilian lives, or allowing the free movement of aid in a famine created by Israel's own actions.

After the World Kitchen team was killed in Gaza, President Biden used his strongest language yet in public statements to condemn Israel's actions.

The president and his aides have now to decide whether words are enough.

• Read Jeremy Bowen's full analysis here

Image source, Reuters

There's been growing international pressure on Israel to conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of seven aid workers in Gaza.

Here's a reminder of some of those remarks:

• Speaking in Brussels earlier today, UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said Britain "will be watching very closely" to make sure extra aid gets into the Strip and a "full, urgent and transparent inquiry" is carried out
• On the sidelines at the same Nato foreign ministers conference, Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly echoed Cameron's call for a full investigation and added that Israel needed to respect international law
• Elsewhere, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the deadly Israeli strike which killed a Polish citizen, and the Israeli government's reaction to the incident, were straining ties between the two countries
• US President Joe Biden has said he was outraged and heartbroken, and criticised the Israeli military for not doing enough to protect civilians
• Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Israel must answer how the aid vehicles, which according to media reports were clearly marked and their movement shared with the Israeli military, were attacked
• As a reminder, Israeli military's chief of staff said the air strike was the result of a “grave mistake” following “a misidentification at night”

Image source, Reuters

Prosecutors in the home city of the Polish aid worker killed in Gaza are launching an investigation into the 35-year-old's death.

"We have started an investigation into the killing of Polish citizen Damian Sobol on April 1-2 in the Gaza Strip as a result of an attack by the Israeli armed forces using explosives," Beata Starzecka, the deputy District Prosecutor in Przemyśl, has told PAP state news agency.

Sobol, a native of Przemyśl in south-eastern Poland, was identified by the mayor of the city, Wojciech Bakun, on Tuesday.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said the reaction of his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, to the killing has caused "understandable anger" in Poland.

Image source, Reuters

Let's now turn our attention to Israel, where protests are continuing in Jerusalem against the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with thousands taking part since Saturday.

Families of Israeli hostages stormed the Knesset (Israeli parliament) today and smeared paint across the glass in the gallery. They're calling for the immediate release of hostages, Netanyahu's government resignation and a general election.

The protests have gathered in intensity as the war against Hamas in Gaza nears the end of its sixth month and anger at the government's handling of around 130 Israeli hostages who are still held by Hamas has grown.

Image source, Reuters

The BBC has spoken to the cousins of killed aid worker James Kirby, who they describe as "completely selfless" - the reason which they say he wanted to go to Gaza.

Amy Roxburgh-Barry and Adam McGuire say that Gaza was somewhere James was "buzzing" to go to.

Adam says: “I’ve spoken to some colleagues of his and he was a professional. He would have the route set up and been in contact with everyone.

"He was there to get people from A to B, and it didn’t happen. What happened was unforeseen.”

Amy says James’ last conversation with his mother, her aunt, was to wish her a happy Easter.

“I only knew he was going because the last conversation I had with him, he said he wanted to take his mum on a cruise when he got back," Amy adds.

She adds that she's “shocked we can’t finish that conversation and he can’t do that for his mum”.

A convoy of ambulances carrying the bodies of the six aid workers that were killed by an Israeli strike has recently crossed the border from Gaza into Egypt.

You can watch that moment by pressing the play button above.

Their bodies are due to be repatriated to their respective home countries after arriving in Egypt.

Image source, Reuters

Let's take a look at the latest lines we've been following for you today as pressure has been mounting on Israel after seven people working for food aid charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza.

In terms of international reaction, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he was “appalled” by the deaths and urged Israel to "take immediate steps" to protect aid workers and facilitate humanitarian operations in Gaza.

US President Joe Biden has said he's “outraged and heartbroken” by the aid workers' deaths and that the investigation into them “must be swift” and “must bring accountability”.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called the incident “completely unacceptable" and says it would “add to the concern” about the ongoing loss of life in Gaza.

Concerns have also been raised about aid supplies in Gaza, as the region is on the brink of famine.

After the deaths of its aid workers, WCF suspended its operations and aid travelling by sea to Gaza is returning to Cyprus.

Several charities have been speaking out since the attack, with Action Against Hunger, Save the Children and Islamic Relief all saying they would continue to work in Gaza.

Image source, PA Media

The former CEO of World Central Kitchen (WCK) has paid tribute to Lalzawmi "Zomi" Frankcom, the Australian national who was killed in Monday's strike.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's World At One programme, Nate Mook described how Frankcom was one of the charity's earliest employees and had a "tremendous warm energy".

"Whatever needed to be done, she was always willing to jump in," he says.

“I think what was so special about her is, when she was out in the field, working with people in their darkest moments, she just had this way to comfort people.

"She would sit down, hold their hand. She was just so warm.”

He adds that he believes there were "choices being made that are making it nearly impossible" for aid organisations, such as WCK, to continue safely operating in Gaza.

"This needs to be a breaking moment where things change.”

Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent

Israel’s attack on the World Central Kitchen convoy in Gaza that killed seven aid workers has raised fresh questions about the way the country is carrying out its war against Hamas in Gaza, where the Hamas-run health ministry says more than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed, entire neighbourhoods have been flattened and a humanitarian crisis only gets worse.

In a video message late on Tuesday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen Herzi Halevi said the initial findings of an investigation concluded the attack was a “mistake” that followed a “misidentification, at night, during a war, in very complex conditions”.

“It shouldn’t have happened,” he said. We still do not have details about the alleged misidentification or how the strike was approved to go ahead, as it hit a convoy that was clearly marked with the World Central Kitchen logo.

The three cars were hit separately, and the organisation said the group’s movements had been co-ordinated with the Israeli military, precisely to prevent something like what happened. Three of those killed were British nationals, one was a dual US-Canadian citizen while the others had come from Australia, Poland and Gaza.

Those countries have reacted angrily, demanding explanations and accountability.

Israel was already facing intensifying international pressure amid the immense suffering in Gaza, as the army’s actions come under scrutiny.

Charities and some of the country’s allies have accused Israel of not doing enough to protect civilians and of intentionally slowing down the entry and delivery of humanitarian assistance, weaponising aid – claims the Israeli government rejects.

Ambulances carrying the bodies of the six international aid workers killed by an Israeli air strike on Monday have arrived at the Gaza-Egypt border, according to the news agency AFP.

The bodies will soon travel through the border before they are repatriated to their respective home countries.

Earlier, we told you about two charities that have pledged to continue their operations in Gaza. Others, however, have decided to pause their work over security concerns.

Health charity Project Hope says that it will pause its work in Deir al-Balah and Rafah for the next three days "in solidarity with World Central Kitchen" while it reassesses the security situation.

The humanitarian relief organisation has also called for an "immediate and permanent ceasefire" to allow groups such as themselves to "safely provide lifesaving care".

This arrives just one day after World Central Kitchen and another US charity it works with, American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), announced they would be pausing their operations in the Strip.

Image source, Handout

We're hearing now from the family of John Chapman - one of the British nationals killed by the Israeli air strike on Monday. In a statement they say.

“We are devastated to have lost John, who was killed in Gaza. He died trying to help people and was subject to an inhumane act. He was an incredible father, husband, son and brother.

“We request we be given space and time to grieve appropriately.

“He was loved by many and will forever be a hero. He will be missed dearly”.