The American-based aid organization “World Central Kitchen” has confirmed the death of seven of its staff members in an Israeli airstrike on the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza Strip.
The organization emphasized that its convoy was struck while leaving a warehouse in Deir al-Balah, despite having coordinated its movements with the Israeli military.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the organization clarified that the aid team was traveling in two armored vehicles, marked with the organization’s logo, in an area far from conflict zones.
Furthermore, the death toll among its employees has risen to 7, leading to the suspension of all its operations in the area.
Jose Andres, the chef who founded World Central Kitchen in 2010 initially to send chefs and food to Haiti following an earthquake, expressed his sorrow and condolences for the families and friends of those killed in the attack.
On social media, he stated, “The Israeli government must stop this indiscriminate killing. It must stop restricting humanitarian aid, killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon.”
He also voiced his refusal of “losing more innocent lives,” adding, “Peace starts with our shared humanity. It must start now.”
Israel Reviews “Tragic Incident”
This comes after the Israeli military announced it is conducting a comprehensive review at the highest levels to determine the circumstances of this “tragic incident.”
The statement mentioned that significant efforts are being made to safely facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, working closely with World Central Kitchen in their vital efforts to provide food and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
The media office of the Hamas government in Gaza reported that citizens from Australia, Britain, Poland, and America were killed in the Israeli air strike. A Palestinian employee of the organization was also among the deceased.
This is not the first time that aid convoys or trucks have been targeted by Israeli forces in the besieged sector in recent months. A similar incident in January resulted in the deaths of over 100 Palestinians by Israeli gunfire targeting civilians gathered around aid trucks in the Kuwaiti roundabout in northern Gaza. The UNRWA also announced its trucks had been targeted previously.
Israel is accused by many humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations, of imposing a deadly siege on more than two million Palestinians in Gaza, restricting the entry of aid as the threat of hunger begins to affect over 300,000 Palestinians in the northern part of the sector.
