Aid group World Central Kitchen (WCK) said Tuesday an Israeli airstrike killed seven of its personnel in Gaza, and that the group is immediately pausing its work in the region.
WCK said in a statement that it had completed delivery of 100 tons of food aid to a warehouse in Deir al-Balah, and that a convoy of two armored cars with the group’s logo was leaving the site when it was struck.
WCK said the airstrike happened despite coordinating its movements with the Israeli military.
Those killed include a Palestinian, citizens of Australia, Poland, Britain, and a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen, the group said.
World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore called the attack “unforgivable.”
“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,” Gore said.
WCK founder Jose Andres said on social media he was “heartbroken and grieving” after losing “several of our sister and brothers in an IDF strike in Gaza.”
“The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing,” Andres said. “It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon. No more innocent lives lost. Peace starts with our shared humanity. It needs to start now.”
The group had begun using a maritime route to bring badly needed food to Gaza, where humanitarian groups have complained of shipments on trucks being held up by the Israeli military and a lack of safe access to areas where people are in need of help.
