British citizen among seven aid workers killed in Gaza

Seven humanitarian aid workers were killed in Gaza on Monday night, with an NGO accusing Israel of being behind the strike that hit its vehicle. 

Workers from World Central Kitchen who were killed include British, Australian, Polish and American/Canadian citizens as well as local Palestinian workers.

“This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organisations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable. I’m heartbroken and appalled that we lost beautiful lives today because of a targeted attack by the IDF,” World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore said.

“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. World Central Kitchen is pausing our operations immediately in the region. We will be making decisions about the future of our work soon,” she added.

The IDF said it is “conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.”

“The IDF makes extensive efforts to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, and has been working closely with WCK in their vital efforts to provide food and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” it added.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack, calling it a “human tragedy that should never have occurred, that is completely unacceptable and Australia will seek full and proper accountability.”

World Central Kitchen delivered 200 tonnes of food to Gaza last month. Its second shipment with 400 tonnes of aid arrived in Gaza on Monday morning.