Canada on Tuesday condemned an Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza, one of them a Canadian, and called for a full investigation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier that Monday's strike by the Israeli military (IDF), which hit people working for the World Central Kitchen group, was tragic and unintended.
"I am horrified to hear reports of the IDF strike taking the lives of seven World Central Kitchen employees in Gaza yesterday, including a Canadian citizen," Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Tuesday.
"We condemn these strikes and call for a full investigation. Canada expects full accountability for these killings and we will convey this to the Israeli government directly. Strikes on humanitarian personnel are absolutely unacceptable," she said on X.
Joly's comments are some of the harshest that Canada has directed against Israel since the start of the Gaza conflict.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, while asserting Israel's right to defend itself, has taken an increasingly critical stance over the Israeli campaign as the death toll of Palestinians mounts.
Last month Canada said it had not approved new arms export permits to Israel since Jan. 8 and the freeze would continue until Ottawa could ensure the weapons are used in accordance with Canadian law.
Meanwhile, Britain summoned the Israeli ambassador over the deaths of aid workers in Gaza, the foreign ministry said.
"I set out the Government's unequivocal condemnation of the appalling killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British Nationals," Britain's Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, said.
"I requested a quick and transparent investigation, shared with the international community, and full accountability."
Separately, Foreign Secretary David Cameron posted on X that he had spoken with his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz to underline that the deaths were "completely unacceptable".
"Israel must urgently explain how this happened and make major changes to ensure safety of aid workers on the ground," Cameron said in the post.
