• It’s unintentional, says Netanyahu
The international community, yesterday, expressed fury after an Israeli airstrike killed seven aid workers working for celebrity chef, Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen (WCK) charity in Gaza.
The United States, Britain, Australia, Poland, Hamas, other charity groups, World Food Programme (WFP) and Norwegian Refugee Council among others, have condemned the killing and urged thorough and impartial investigation.
Videos obtained from the scene in the central city of Deir Al-Balah show the bloodied bodies of multiple victims wearing World Central Kitchen vests. Israel Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said it was unintended and ‘tragic’, and the military pledged an independent inquiry.
The Israeli military confirmed the deadly strike that killed citizens of Australia, Britain and Poland as well as Palestinians and a dual citizen of the United States and Canada. WCK in a statement said its aid workers were travelling in a ‘deconflicted zone’ in two armoured cars branded with the charity’s logo as well as a soft skin vehicle.
“Despite coordinating movements with the IDF (Israel Defence Forces), 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,” the group said.
WCK also said it was pausing its operations following the deadly strike and assessing the future of its operations in Gaza.
“I am heartbroken and appalled that we, World Central Kitchen and the world, lost beautiful lives today because of a targeted attack by the IDF,” WCK CEO, Erin Gore, said in the statement.
“The love they had for feeding people, the determination they embodied to show that humanity rises above all, and the impact they made in countless lives will forever be remembered and cherished. These are people… angels… I served alongside in Ukraine, Gaza, Turkey, Morocco, Bahamas, Indonesia. They are not faceless… they are not nameless. This is unforgivable,” Gore added.
WCK founder, José Andrés, slammed the Israeli government, saying it “needs to stop this indiscriminate killing.
“Today, @WCKitchen lost several of our sisters and brothers in an IDF air strike in Gaza,” Andrés wrote on Twitter.
“I am heartbroken and grieving for their families and friends and our whole WCK family.
“The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon,” he added.
Hamas condemned the attack in a statement, yesterday, urging the international community and the United Nations to “take action.” Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, identified the Australian victim as Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom.
“This is someone who volunteered in Australia to help people during the bush-fires. This is someone who was volunteering overseas to provide aid through this charity for people who are suffering tremendous deprivation in Gaza.
“Australia expects full accountability for the deaths of aid workers, which is completely unacceptable,” Albanese said.
He said the Australian government has already contacted the Israeli government directly, and that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had requested a “call-in” from the Israeli ambassador to Australia.
Polish authorities confirmed that one of its nationals, Damian Sobol, from the town of Przemysl, was killed as well.
Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland’s foreign minister, said he personally asked Israeli’s envoy to the country to deliver an “urgent” explanation. Sikorski said he was assured “Poland would soon receive the results of the investigation into this tragedy.”
Britain has summoned the Israeli ambassador over the deaths of the aid workers, the foreign ministry said yesterday.
“I set out the government’s unequivocal condemnation of the appalling killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British nationals,” Britain’s Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, said.
“I requested a quick and transparent investigation, shared with the international community, and full accountability.” Separately, Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, posted on X that he had spoken with his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz to underline that the deaths were “completely unacceptable.”
“Israel must urgently explain how this happened and make major changes to ensure safety of aid workers on the ground,” Cameron said in the post.
United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said Washington had spoken directly to close ally Israeli’s government and “urged a swift, thorough and impartial investigation to understand exactly what happened.”
Blinken, speaking to reporters in Paris, added that humanitarian workers must be protected.
“These people are heroes, they run into the fire, not away from it,” he said of the seven NGO workers.
“We should not have a situation where people who are simply trying to help their fellow human beings are themselves at grave risk.”
Other charities were quick to mourn the losses and praise World Central Kitchen’s commitment to helping those in need in the face of danger.
Matthew Hollingworth, the World Food Programme’s Palestine director, praised the “life-saving work” of those killed, while Norwegian Refugee Council Secretary General, Jan Egeland, called for an immediate ceasefire.
“Nowhere else are so many aid workers killed,” Egeland said.
The Israeli military (IDF) said it was conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of what it called a tragic incident, and pledged an investigation by “an independent, professional and expert body.”