Seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed in an attack by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza, prompting the food relief organisation to temporarily halt its operations in the region.
WCK Chief Executive Officer Erin Gore said in a statement on Tuesday that the attack was to dissuade humanitarian organisations from giving aid “in the most dire of situations.”
“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,” he said.
The NGO has been active in Gaza for months, providing over 33 million meals since the conflict began. It runs over 60 community kitchens with the assistance of approximately 400 local Palestinians.
United States officials have expressed sorrow and concern over the strike, Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said in a statement shared on social media.
“Humanitarian aid workers must be protected as they deliver aid that is desperately needed, and we urge Israel to swiftly investigate what happened,” he said.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the IDF stated that they are conducting a comprehensive review to understand the circumstances of the incident.
They emphasised their efforts to facilitate the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and their collaboration with WCK to provide food and assistance to Gaza’s people.
“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,” the statement read in part.
United Kingdom officials said they are urgently verifying if British citizens were among those killed in Gaza, according to Foreign Secretary David Cameron. He called on Israel to promptly investigate the incident and provide a transparent explanation.
Chef and founder of WCK, Jose Andres, expressed profound sadness for the loss of his workers in the Gaza air strike by the IDF. Andres urged the Israeli government to stop indiscriminate killings.
Andres wrote on X:
“Today @WCKitchen lost several of our sisters and brothers in an IDF air strike in Gaza.
“I am heartbroken and grieving for their families and friends and our whole WCK family. These are people…angels…I served alongside in Ukraine, Gaza, Turkey, Morocco, Bahamas, Indonesia. They are not faceless…they are not nameless. The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing,” the tweet read in part.
