An Israeli airstrike has killed three British aid workers in Gaza.
The three were among seven World Central Kitchen staff hit while traveling in two armoured and branded vehicles last night
The charity has been working to alleviate the looming famine in Gaza since the conflict erupted in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack.
Reports say that the vehicle was travelling in a “deconflicted zone” in two armoured vehicles that were branded with the WCK logo and that it had “coordinated their movements with the Israeli military”
In a statement the organisation said
World Central Kitchen is devastated to confirm seven members of our team have been killed in an IDF strike in Gaza.
The WCK team was traveling in a deconflicted zone in two armored cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle.
Despite coordinating movements with the IDF, 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.
“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,” said World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore.
The seven killed are from Australia, Poland, United Kingdom, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, and Palestine.
“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. 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,” said Erin.
The IDF says it is “carrying out an in-depth examination at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.”
World Central Kitchen is pausing our operations immediately in the region. We will be making decisions about the future of our work soon.
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said on X
“Israel must urgently explain how this happened & make major changes to ensure safety of aid workers on the ground.”
