Aid worker killed by Israel felt need to help, parents say

The father of US-Canadian citizen Jacob Flickinger, one of seven aid workers killed in an Israeli strike, said Thursday his son was hesitant to go to Gaza but felt a need to help.

Flickinger, 33, was among a group of World Central Kitchen staff who died on Monday when Israel bombed their vehicle convoy in what it called a “grave mistake,” sparking outrage from world leaders.

In interviews with US media, parents John Flickenger and Sylvie Labrecque paid tribute to their son, who started working with World Central Kitchen in Mexico last year before traveling to Gaza.

“He was hesitant to go, he’s a new father. He has a beautiful 18-month-old son, a beautiful young wife he was very devoted to. But he felt the need and he of course needs to support his family,” John Flickenger told CBS News.

In a separate interview with BBC News, he said his son felt “reasonably confident that he could accomplish the mission safely” in Gaza.

“He felt that the World Central Kitchen knew what they were doing there. They were in de-conflicted zone, controlled by the IDF,” Flickenger said.

He said his son — a Canadian Armed Forces veteran — started working with World Central Kitchen, a non-profit food relief organization, as it appealed to his main passions and skills.

“He loved the work, (it) kind of married his talents — his military training, his love for adventure, and his desire to serve and to help others,” Flickinger said.

In the emotional interview, he said his thoughts went to his son’s family, adding: “Now my grandson will grow up without having his father.”

Monday’s strike was widely condemned by global powers, with President Joe Biden saying he was “outraged and heartbroken,” before warning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that continued US support depended on Israel’s protection of civilians in Gaza.

Biden emphasized the need for a series of “specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers,” a White House statement said.

World Central Kitchen, which was founded in 2010 by Spanish-American chef Jose Andres, has paused its operations in Gaza since the attack, which also killed citizens from Australia, Britain and Poland and a Palestinian.

The aid workers had just unloaded supplies at a warehouse in central Gaza when they were killed in the Israeli strike.