The parents of Jacob Flickinger, a U.S.-Canadian dual national and aid worker who was one of seven killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza On Monday, they said they were still waiting for government officials to give them more information about the final moments of their son’s life and disputed claims that his killing was accidental. Flickinger, 33, was named by World Central Kitchen, a charity founded by renowned Spanish-American chef José Andrés, as a victim of the airstrike.
Despite the chaos surrounding his death, Jacob Flickinger’s parents say their last official update came directly from the Jerusalem embassy on the day their son was killed. Struggling with grief and unanswered questions, they turned to the media for information.
“Neither the U.S. government nor the Canadian government has told us anything,” said John Flickinger, Jacob’s father. “All we know is what we have read and seen in the media.”
The circumstances surrounding Jacob’s death remain a matter of mystery and grief for his family. The other WCK personnel killed in the attack, which the Israeli military called a “serious mistake,” were identified as Palestinian, British, Polish and Australian nationals. It appears their three-vehicle convoy was hit by several successive missile strikes, although the nonprofit coordinated the team’s movements with the Israel Defense Forces.
“They knew, the whole world knew about this food shipment,” John Flickinger said. “It has been in international news for days. They knew that the food had been collected from the ship on the coast of Gaza and delivered to a warehouse along an Israeli-approved humanitarian route. Shortly after dropping off the food, we know they were targeted. The convoy was clearly identified. The vehicles were clearly identified. The facts on the ground seemed to indicate that this was not a “tragic accident.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the accident was unintentional. But Andrés says that his Central cuisine of the world charity team in the Gaza Strip appears to have been deliberately targeted by the Israeli army.
“So if it was a terrible mistake, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt,” John Flickinger said. “Second, the Israeli military is extremely incompetent. And the leaders leading this campaign are incompetent, because it was not the convoy or the first responder group that was accidentally killed.”
Jacob’s mother, Sylvia, describes him as an “exceptional human being” who is deeply passionate about his work. After serving 11 years in the Canadian Forces, Jacob continued to undertake special missions, even after leaving the military.
Flickinger, who was married, was reluctant to make the trip to Gaza because the couple has an 18-month-old son, but Jacob felt a strong responsibility to contribute to global humanitarian efforts. He had already worked with WCK in Mexico following a devastating hurricane and was drawn to continue his efforts with the organization in Gaza.
“We will never be able to stop his passion. That’s where his heart was. And he gave everything, until the end,” said his mother, Sylvia Labrecque.
Analisa Novak
Grub5
