Quebec man killed providing aid in Gaza was ‘man of honour’
Posted April 4, 2024 2:46 pm.
Last Updated April 4, 2024 11:22 pm.
Honour, loyalty and respect. Those are the three words David Gilbert uses to describe his late friend Jacob Flickinger.
The 33-year-old Quebecer was killed by Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip on Monday, along with six other aid workers, while volunteering at the World Central Kitchen since March.
“[He] was like the big the brother or the big father for me or everyone else that you know him and everybody know him like a man with honour and loyalty,” said Gilbert, who had been friends with Flickinger for 20 years.
Flickinger grew up in Saint-Georges, Quebec, about 100 kilometres south of Quebec City. He served in the Canadian Armed Forces from 2008 until 2019. His commitment to helping others led him to Gaza, delivering food aid to families in need.
“I received this call at 7:30 maybe eight from his girlfriend that Jacob was dead. So, the first time I was thinking that she she was telling me a like joke, but you know, it’s not the kind of joke that you can do,” said Gilbert.
“Anybody that knows Jacob, for sure, will have like a big, a big loss.”
In a Facebook post, Flickinger’s father John wrote, “He died doing what he loved and serving others through his work with the World Central Kitchen.”
In an Instagram post, the World Central Kitchen, a food aid organization, is calling for an independent investigation into the strikes stating that “humanitarian aid workers and civilians should never be a target.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the strikes a tragic accident that will be investigated — but also a consequence of armed conflict.
At a press conference in Winnipeg on Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slammed his response.
“I have to directly take issue with what Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday, when he said, ‘Well this just happens in conflicts and in war time.’ No, it doesn’t just happen, and it shouldn’t just happen,” said Trudeau.
Adding that Israel must provide an, “Open, transparent, independent and rapid investigation into what happened.”
Flickinger leaves behind his partner and one-year-old son.
An online fundraising campaign has been set up to support Flickinger’s family and take care of funeral arrangements.
“He had like a big impact [on] the life of everyone,” said Gilbert.
