Food charity halts Gaza operations after alleged Israeli strike kills 7 foreign aid workers

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2 Apr 2024

According to an assistance organization, at least six foreign humanitarian workers and their Palestinian driver were killed in what appears to have been an Israeli airstrike when they were in Gaza. The United Kingdom, Australia, Poland, and a dual citizen of the United States and Canada were among the seven people who died, according to an early Tuesday statement from the food charity World Central Kitchen.

Palestinians walk through the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip near Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Monday, April 1, 2024.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) – Six international aid workers with the World Central Kitchen and their Palestinian driver were killed in what appeared to be an Israeli airstrike, the charity said on Tuesday. This could be a major setback to efforts to deliver aid to Gaza by sea, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are on the verge of starvation due to Israel's offensive against Hamas. The renowned chef José Andrés launched the food charity, which said that it was immediately stopping activities in the area.
Video captured the bodies at a hospital in the town of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, several of them wearing protective gear bearing the charity's logo. According to hospital records, those slain included three British nationalities, an Australian, a Polish national, and a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.
There was no way to independently verify the origin of the fire late on Monday. A review is being carried out, according to the Israeli military, "to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident."
According to the charity, the group was driven by two armoured cars in a convoy of three cars.

A man displays blood-stained British, Polish, and Australian passports after an Israeli airstrike, in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, April 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
“Despite coordinating movements with the (Israeli army), the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route.”Erin Gore, the CEO of the charity, said “this is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable.”
The charity and the United Arab Emirates arranged for three relief ships from the Mediterranean island country of Cyprus to arrive earlier on Monday with 400 tons of food and supplies. This is the group's second cargo following a test run last month. Both deliveries were coordinated by the Israeli military.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

The United States, which has given Israel's offensive critical military and diplomatic assistance, has hailed the maritime channel as a fresh means of delivering much-needed help to northern Gaza and has plans to construct its floating dock, with building scheduled to begin in a few weeks.
According to the U.N., a major portion of the population—who is mainly isolated from the rest of the region by Israeli forces—is in danger of hunger. The main United Nations agency in Gaza, UNRWA, has been prohibited by Israel from delivering supplies to the north, and other humanitarian organizations claim that because the military hasn't made sure people are safe to travel, sending truck convoys north has become too risky.
The UNRWA said in its latest report that 173 of its workers have been killed in Gaza. The figure does not include workers for other aid organizations.

The body of a person wearing a World Central Kitchen t-shirt lies on the ground at the Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, April 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
An Associated Press reporter at the hospital said that the bodies of the relief workers had been sent to a hospital in the southern city of Rafah, which is near the Egyptian border. The bodies of the foreigners will be removed from Gaza, and the Palestinian driver's body will be given to his relatives in Rafah so they can be buried there. The prime minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, acknowledged that Melbourne resident Zomi Frankcom, 44, was one of the deceased and stated that Israel has been asked to explain by his government.
“This is someone who was volunteering overseas to provide aid through this charity for people who are suffering tremendous deprivation in Gaza. And this is just completely unacceptable,” Albanese told reporters.
“We want full accountability for this because this is a tragedy that should never have occurred.”
Poland’s Foreign Ministry posted “sincerest words of sympathy” to the family of a volunteer who had offered assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, without saying how he was killed. The Foreign Ministry said it is requesting an explanation from Israel.
Britain’s Foreign Office said it was aware of reports of the death of a British national in Gaza and was “urgently seeking further information.”
On October 7, militants led by Hamas invaded southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping about 250 more. This marked the start of the war. In response, Israel launched one of the bloodiest and most catastrophic offensives in recent memory.
Gaza's Health Ministry reports that at least 32,845 Palestinians have died, with almost two-thirds of them being women and children. The ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians when tallying casualties. Because Palestinian militants battle in crowded residential neighbourhoods, Israel holds them accountable for the civilian casualties.
Humanitarian organizations have consistently demanded a humanitarian cease-fire, arguing that it is the only way to assist those in need. Months have passed while the US, Qatar, and Egypt have attempted to mediate a new cease-fire and captive release, but indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue to stall.
After releasing the majority of the remaining captives during a cease-fire in November in exchange for the release of Palestinians detained by Israel, Hamas is thought to be holding about 100 hostages plus the remnants of another thirty.