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In a tragic incident, six international aid workers and a Palestinian driver were killed in an Israeli air raid. The United States-based aid group, World Central Kitchen (WCK), confirmed that its staff members were among the casualties in what they described as a “targeted attack” by the Israeli military. The victims hailed from Palestine, Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and a US-Canada citizen.
The attack occurred as WCK staff were delivering food from their latest shipment to Gaza, where many Palestinians are on the brink of famine due to Israel’s offensive actions. Footage showed the bodies of those killed at a hospital in Deir el-Balah, some of whom were wearing protective gear with the charity’s logo.
In response to the tragedy, WCK announced the immediate suspension of operations in the region. The airstrike dealt a major blow to efforts to provide aid via sea routes, which have been established due to Israeli limitations on access to Gaza. WCK explained that despite coordinating movements with the Israeli army, the convoy was struck as it left the warehouse in Deir al-Balah after unloading over 100 tons of humanitarian food aid.
Erin Gore, CEO of WCK, condemned the attack as an assault not only on their organization but on all humanitarian groups working in dire circumstances where food is being weaponized in conflict. She emphasized that such actions were egregious and unacceptable. The bodies of the aid workers have been transported to a hospital in Rafah, Egypt while those of foreign workers will be evacuated from Gaza and returned to their families for burial.
