Ambassador Yacov Livne has reportedly “modified tone” after initially claiming the bombing of the humanitarian convoy was not a struggle crime
Poland mentioned on Friday that Israel’s envoy in Warsaw has apologized for the loss of life of a Polish volunteer killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza this week.
Ambassador Yacov Livne was summoned by Warsaw over his “outrageous” remarks earlier this week. The Israeli envoy said that the incident was not a struggle crime and accused Poles who assume in any other case of anti-Semitism.
On Monday, the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) carried out three consecutive airstrikes on a humanitarian convoy, killing seven overseas nationals working for the aid group World Central Kitchen (WCK), together with 35-year-old Damian Sobol from Poland.
“I handed over a observe of protest to the ambassador. The ambassador apologized for this occasion, which has no precedent within the historical past of the civilized world,” Polish Deputy Overseas Minister Andrzej Szejna advised a press convention on Friday.
Livne reportedly knowledgeable Szejna that Israel’s high court docket would conduct a prison investigation into the incident.
“There ought to be an investigation below the supervision of the victims’ international locations below prison regulation into this occasion, which bears the hallmarks of homicide,” Szejna insisted, including that Sobol’s household also needs to be supplied compensation.
“The knowledge we acquired thus far [from Israel] shouldn’t be passable however we see this assembly as a change of tone,” Szejna mentioned, noting that Livne wouldn’t be expelled.
The Israeli ambassador precipitated outrage in Poland with a social media publish on Tuesday that the “excessive proper and left” in Poland had been accusing Israel of intentional homicide, including that “antisemites will all the time stay antisemites.” The diplomat insisted that the deaths of the help employees weren’t a struggle crime however a tragedy, and that the IDF by no means targets humanitarian teams on function.
Livne ought to have used the chance to talk to the Polish media and “say a easy, human apology,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk mentioned on Thursday. President Andrzej Duda denounced the ambassador’s “outrageous” remarks and known as for an evidence.
Israel mentioned on Friday that an inquiry into the incident had discovered severe errors and breaches of ordinary procedures by the army, with the consequence that two officers have been dismissed and senior commanders formally reprimanded.
Israel declared struggle on Hamas after the Palestinian militant group carried out a shock assault on Israel on October 7, killing round 1,100 individuals and taking greater than 200 hostages. Greater than 30,000 Palestinians have since been killed throughout Israel’s operations in Gaza, in line with the native authorities.
