The father of American-Canadian aid worker Jacob Flickinger, who was killed in an Israeli raid in the Gaza Strip this week, revealed in an interview Thursday that his son was reluctant to go to Gaza but felt the need to provide help.
Flickinger (33 years old) was among seven employees of the humanitarian organization “Global Central Kitchen” who were killed, Monday, when Israel bombed their convoy due to what it described as a “serious mistake,” which sparked the anger of world leaders.
In interviews with American media, John Flickinger and Sylvie Labrecque praised their son, who began working with the “World Central Kitchen” in Mexico last year before traveling to Gaza.
John Flickinger told CBS News that his son “was hesitant to go, as he is a new father and has a beautiful 18-month-old child,” adding, “but he felt the need to do it and of course he has to support his family.”
In a separate interview with BBC News, he said that his son, who previously served in the Canadian Armed Forces, felt “reasonably confident in his ability to accomplish the mission safely” in Gaza, noting that he had a “desire to serve and help others.”
Flickinger noted that his son “felt that World Central Kitchen knew what it was doing there. They were in a demilitarized zone controlled by the Israeli army.”
In the touching interview, he confirmed that his thoughts are now with his son’s family, saying, “Now my grandson will grow up without being with his father.”
Sandy Locklear, Jacob Flickinger’s partner, told ABC in an interview Thursday that she wanted to know “the truth about what happened, because this situation is very murky.”
“This news devastated me (…) He was a part of me,” she said, adding that she did not know how to explain to their son that his father had died.
The tragedy, which sparked international outrage, came about six months after the devastating war that broke out in the Gaza Strip following an unprecedented attack launched by Hamas on the south of the Hebrew state on October 7.
Major world powers denounced the raid that killed the “Global Central Kitchen” team founded by Spanish-American chef José Andrés, with US President Joe Biden saying he was “angry and heartbroken,” before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Thursday that continued American support depends on… Israel’s protection of civilians in Gaza.
The relief organization expressed its “shock” at the killing of its “hero” team members, including a Palestinian and citizens of Australia, Britain, and Poland, announcing the suspension of its operations in Gaza.
Since the outbreak of the war, the “World Central Kitchen” has been contributing to providing meals in the Gaza Strip, where the majority of the population of about 2.4 million people are threatened by famine, according to the United Nations.
The organization helped send the first ship loaded with humanitarian aid from Cyprus through a sea corridor to Gaza in mid-March.
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2024-04-05 06:44:30
