Family of Pole Killed in Gaza Should Get Compensation from Israel, Poland Says 

Polish World Central Kitchen and aid worker Damian Sobol, who was killed by Israeli airstrike in Gaza, according to the NGO, on April 1, 2024, speaks about water facilities at the roof of WCK, in location given as Gaza, in this still image taken from a social media video released March 2, 2024 and obtained by Reuters on April 2, 2024. (World Central Kitchen/Handout via Reuters)
Polish World Central Kitchen and aid worker Damian Sobol, who was killed by Israeli airstrike in Gaza, according to the NGO, on April 1, 2024, speaks about water facilities at the roof of WCK, in location given as Gaza, in this still image taken from a social media video released March 2, 2024 and obtained by Reuters on April 2, 2024. (World Central Kitchen/Handout via Reuters)
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Family of Pole Killed in Gaza Should Get Compensation from Israel, Poland Says 

Polish World Central Kitchen and aid worker Damian Sobol, who was killed by Israeli airstrike in Gaza, according to the NGO, on April 1, 2024, speaks about water facilities at the roof of WCK, in location given as Gaza, in this still image taken from a social media video released March 2, 2024 and obtained by Reuters on April 2, 2024. (World Central Kitchen/Handout via Reuters)
Polish World Central Kitchen and aid worker Damian Sobol, who was killed by Israeli airstrike in Gaza, according to the NGO, on April 1, 2024, speaks about water facilities at the roof of WCK, in location given as Gaza, in this still image taken from a social media video released March 2, 2024 and obtained by Reuters on April 2, 2024. (World Central Kitchen/Handout via Reuters)

Israel should apologize and pay compensation to the family of a Polish national who was among seven aid workers killed in an airstrike in Gaza, Poland's prime minister and president said on Thursday.

Citizens from Australia, Britain and Poland were among seven people working for celebrity chef Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen who were killed in an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza on Monday, the NGO said.

Damian Sobol, 35, was a relief worker and lived in the city of Przemysl, in southeastern Poland, according to the city's mayor Wojciech Bakun.

"We will expect... an immediate explanation of the circumstances and compensation for the victims' relatives," Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a news conference.

President Andrzej Duda joined his call for an apology, compensation and investigation from Israel, while also criticizing Israel's ambassador to Poland for his comments after the incident.

Ambassador Yacov Livne said in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday that the "extreme right and left" in Poland were accusing Israel of intentional murder, adding that "antisemites will always remain antisemites".

"The authorities in Israel speak in a very subdued and sensitive manner. Unfortunately, their ambassador in Poland is unable to maintain such delicacy and this is unacceptable," Duda said during a televised speech on NATO's anniversary.

"Today Mr. Ambassador is making these relations very difficult. This is my assessment."

The Polish foreign ministry has summoned the ambassador for Friday.

Israel did not have an ambassador in Poland for months under the previous government due to a row over Holocaust education trips for Israeli students to Poland. He was reinstated last year.



Grossi Wants to Meet with Iran’s Pezeshkian ‘at Earliest Convenience’

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
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Grossi Wants to Meet with Iran’s Pezeshkian ‘at Earliest Convenience’

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi announced he intends to visit Tehran through a letter he addressed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iranian Mehr Agency reported that Grossi sent a congratulatory message to the Iranian president-elect, which stated: “I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on your election win as President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

“Cooperation between the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Islamic Republic of Iran has been at the focal attention of the international circles for many years. I am confident that, together, we will be able to make decisive progress on this crucial matter.”

“To that effect, I wish to express my readiness to travel to Iran to meet with you at the earliest convenience,” Iran’s Mehr news agency quoted Grossi as saying.

The meeting – should it take place - will be the first for Pezeshkian, who had pledged during his election campaign to be open to the West to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue.

Last week, American and Israeli officials told the Axios news site that Washington sent a secret warning to Tehran last month regarding its fears of Iranian research and development activities that might be used to produce nuclear weapons.

In May, Grossi expressed his dissatisfaction with the course of the talks he held over two days in Iran in an effort to resolve outstanding matters.

Since the death of the former Iranian president, Ibrahim Raisi, the IAEA chief refrained from raising the Iranian nuclear file, while European sources said that Tehran had asked to “freeze discussions” until the internal situation was arranged and a new president was elected.