On Tuesday night, a convoy from World Central Kitchen (WCK) was inadvertently shot at by Israel, resulting in the death of seven WCK staff members and the suspension of their relief work in the region. The incident occurred near Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
WCK, founded by former Michelin chef José Andrés, has been providing food aid in war and crisis areas since 2010. The organization temporarily suspended its activities following the attack on their convoy. The employees killed in the incident were from Australia, Poland, Great Britain, the US, and Palestine.
The death of WCK employees has led to calls for accountability from various countries, including Australia and Poland. The EU and the USA have also urged Israel to clarify the incident. In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is taking steps to prevent such incidents from happening again.
The future distribution of relief supplies to Gaza remains uncertain as WCK’s work by sea has been put on hold following the attack. Prior to this incident, WCK had coordinated aid deliveries to the region and shipped food supplies from Cyprus to Gaza.