MUSCAT/GAZA: Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, received a phone call from Tobias Billström, Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Sweden, on Tuesday.
The ministers discussed fields of bilateral cooperation and ways of fostering them and related agreements. They agreed to hold periodic political consultations on the level of the foreign ministries. They exchanged views on a number of challenges and regional issues most importantly the Palestinian cause and the Ukrainian crisis, stressing the importance of dialogue between all parties and addressing the root causes and seriously dealing with all parties concerned.
Meanwhile, the United States, France and Britain led international criticism of a deadly strike in the Gaza Strip that killed seven charity staff as they unloaded desperately needed aid brought by sea to the war-torn territory.
World Central Kitchen —one of two NGOs spearheading efforts to deliver aid by boat —said a "targeted Israeli strike" on Monday killed Australian, British, Palestinian, Polish and US-Canadian staff.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged a "swift, impartial investigation" into the airstrike and said Israel needed to do more to protect innocent civilians.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike was "unintentional". The Israeli army has vowed to hold an investigation and promised to "share our findings transparently".
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, speaking alongside Blinken at a press conference in Paris, said "protecting humanitarian workers is a moral and legal imperative that everyone must adhere to. Nothing justifies such a tragedy."
Earlier, US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson wrote on X that Washington was "heartbroken and deeply troubled by the strike".
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron — who has been increasingly critical of Israel's war in Gaza — said the country had "called on Israel to immediately investigate and provide a full, transparent explanation of what happened".
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was "shocked and saddened" after learning that a Briton was among those killed. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese slammed the "completely unacceptable" attack, and called it a "tragedy that should never have occurred".
He offered "sincere condolences" to the family of Australian volunteer Lalzawmi "Zomi" Frankcom, who was killed in the strike. "She just wanted to help out through this charity. That says everything about the character of this young woman," Albanese said.
The founder and leader of World Central Kitchen, Spanish-born US-based celebrity chef Jose Andres, said he was "heartbroken and grieving for their families and friends and our whole WCK family".
"The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing," he wrote on social media. "It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon."
The charity said it had coordinated its movements with the Israeli army and was travelling in vehicles branded with its logo. It has paused its operations in Gaza. SEE ALSO P6
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