US charity demands independent probe into staff member's killing by Israel in Gaza

A US charity has called for an independent probe into the death of one of its staff members in the Gaza Strip.

The American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) organization’s logistics coordinator in Gaza, Mousa Shawwa, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday.

The relief group called for an investigation into the killing of its staff member.

“We demand an independent investigation into his death, which threatens our team’s ability to function safely and deliver aid to civilians facing starvation,” said Rebecca Abou-Chedid, a board member of the charity established in 1968.

Shawwa was the fifth American aid worker to be killed in Gaza.

The aid organization said it had shared coordinates with the Israeli authorities for the sake of its staff safety, “but this attack highlights the failure of deconfliction efforts.”

It added, “Shawwa’s death threatens the ability of humanitarian staff to continue operations.”

Shawwa was killed in Al Zawayda, Deir Al Balah after having just returned from working in Rafah.

His wife and three of his children suffered moderate injuries. His youngest son, six-year-old Karim, is in intensive care right now.

He had been a resident of Gaza City before he and his family were forced to evacuate to Deir Al Balah after the Israeli regime focus launched the genocidal war on Gaza.

Shawwa, who started out as a driver and custodian and later moved up to the role of logistics and support coordinator, had worked for Anera nearly 15 years.

On its website, the organization said Shawwa as a valued member of the group who had been instrumental in getting aid delivered to where and whom it was needed most. He was a problem-solver and a humanitarian who believed deeply in Anera’s role in aiding the people of Gaza.

Anera President and CEO, Sean Carroll, said the world had lost a dedicated humanitarian who believed in his mission with all his heart. "[Shawwa] worked hard to help hope find a way, and ultimately was killed despite his efforts. We are praying for the full and speedy recovery of his injured wife and children, and we will continue to advocate for an immediate and full ceasefire.”

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The Israeli war machine launched its genocidal war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Since then, the Tel Aviv forces have killed some 31,000 Palestinians and injured some 72,500 others.

The regime forces have also imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the starving Palestinians.

Just one month into the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said more than 100 of its staff members had been killed in the nonstop Israeli attacks.

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