Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded today, Thursday, to the remarks of his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the Israeli airstrike that resulted in the death of seven relief workers in Gaza, including a Canadian.

Earlier this week, Netanyahu expressed his regret over the incident and described it as "a tragic case with the unintended strike in the Gaza Strip causing the death of innocents." He added, "This happens in times of war, and Israel is looking into the situation."

Trudeau, speaking today in the city of Winnipeg in the province of Manitoba, said, "No, it is not that simple to happen, and it should not happen when you have relief workers in an extraordinary organization like World Central Kitchen, risking their lives every day in a very dangerous place to deliver food to people suffering from a horrific humanitarian disaster."

On Monday, April 1, Jacob Flickenegger, a young Canadian veteran also holding American citizenship, aged 33, was killed in the Israeli bombing of a humanitarian aid convoy in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, along with six other relief workers. The incident sparked widespread international condemnation. US President Joe Biden said he was "angry and saddened" by the occurrence.

For his part, the head of the humanitarian organization "World Central Kitchen," José Andrés, earlier this week called on Israelis to pressure their government to change the way it conducts its war against Hamas. He said his group had coordinated aid shipments with the Israeli Defense Forces.

The Israeli army said the strike was a "grave mistake."

Data indicates that since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, more than 196 humanitarian workers have been killed in Gaza, many of whom are Palestinians working for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The war in Gaza began about six months ago, starting on October 7, 2023, with an attack launched by Hamas from the Gaza Strip on southern Israel, which led to the death of about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, according to Israeli authorities. The attackers abducted about 250 people.

This week, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that 32,975 people have been killed in Gaza since then.

The Canadian leader has called for an investigation into the airstrike. Meanwhile, the American humanitarian organization (World Central Kitchen) requested a third-party investigation, not conducted by Israel itself.

Trudeau emphasized, saying: "We need an open, transparent, independent, and swift investigation into what happened."

The Canadian Prime Minister also stressed the need for more humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza, and more protection for civilians, innocents, and relief workers.

Trudeau said, "That is why we need a humanitarian ceasefire. That Hamas lays down its weapons, that the hostages be released, and a ceasefire to allow this humanitarian disaster to end as soon as possible," according to the Canadian federal head of government.