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The US-Canadian citizen who was among the many seven World Central Kitchen support staff killed in an IDF airstrike was simply days away from leaving Gaza when he died, his grieving father has revealed.
Jacob Flickinger, 33, was killed whereas he and his colleagues had been making an attempt to ship much-needed meals to the folks in Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing marketing campaign.
John Flickinger, Jacob’s father, informed The Every day Beast concerning the final time he spoke to his son – and the way the daddy to a small little one ought to have been leaving the battle zone inside a matter of days.
Mr Flickinger mentioned that that his son was planning on heading to Cairo, Egypt, by the tip of the week to “reassess what their wants had been and the way they’re going to proceed”.
“The state of affairs was altering day by day on the bottom with Israel threatening to assault Rafah,” Mr Flickinger informed the outlet.
“That was the final textual content from him, that he’s going to reassess on the finish of the week in Cairo.”
Mr Flickinger mentioned that he by no means heard from his son once more.
Flickinger, who had been volunteering in Gaza since early March to assist distribute meals to Palestinians, and his colleagues – Saifeddin Issam Ayab Abutaha of Palestine, Lalzawmi Frankcom of Australia, Damian Soból of Poland and UK residents John Chapman, James Henderson and James Kirby – had been travelling in a convoy to ship meals to folks in Gaza on Tuesday.
The convoy was hit by an Israeli airstrike, killing all seven staff.
Flickinger is now being remembered as a “loving husband and a brand new father,” who was primarily based in Costa Rica together with his accomplice Sandy and their one-year-old child, his father mentioned.
Previous to his work in Gaza, Flickinger “devoted his time” to the World Central Kitchen, beforehand becoming a member of a mission in Mexico, in response to a GoFundMe web page set as much as assist Flickinger’s younger household.
His father mentioned Flickinger had additionally beforehand labored as a private coach, a coach and a wilderness information, and served in Afghanistan with the Canadian navy.
Kened Sadiku, a spokesperson for the Canadian Division of Nationwide Defence, additionally informed The Impartial in an announcement that retired Grasp Corporal Flickinger served with the Canadian Military from 7 April 2008 to 16 October 2019.
His father mentioned that since turning into a father or mother, the 33-year-old had develop into “very targeted “ on elevating his son and beginning a brand new life in Costa Rica, including that he was “the perfect buddy anybody might ever have”.
“However he cherished to work with the World Central Kitchen. He believed of their mission. And when the chance got here to Gaza, he was hesitant, however the want was so nice,” he mentioned.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned in an announcement that “there was a tragic incident of an unintended strike of our forces on harmless folks within the Gaza Strip,” and that officers can be completely “checking” out what occurred and “will do the whole lot for this to not occur once more”.
Nevertheless, World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore launched an announcement slamming the assault on the help staff as “unforgivable”.
“This isn’t solely an assault towards WCK, that is an assault on humanitarian organizations exhibiting up in probably the most dire of conditions the place meals is getting used as a weapon of warfare. That is unforgivable,” she mentioned.
