At least five aid workers delivering food to starving civilians in Gaza have been killed in an Israeli military strike, according to non-profit group World Central Kitchen. Videos obtained by CNN show the bodies of multiple people wearing apparent World Central Kitchen vests following an airstrike in the central city of Deir Al-Balah. The footage includes passports from Britain, Poland, and Australia.
In a statement Monday, World Central Kitchen said they were “aware of reports that members of our team have been killed in an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) attack while working to support our humanitarian food delivery efforts in Gaza.” The statement added, “This is a tragedy. Humanitarian aid workers and civilians should never be a target. EVER. We will share more information when we have gathered all the facts.”
World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés confirmed the five deaths but did not provide specific details. The IDF stated they are “conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.” The Australian government is “urgently seeking to confirm reports” that an Australian aid worker has died in Gaza, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
World Central Kitchen provides meals to disaster-struck regions and communities, including Haiti after its earthquake and Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. They have also provided food relief to war-stricken regions, such as Ukraine after the Russian invasion. In March, the non-profit led an initiative to ship 200 tons of food aid to Gaza – the first maritime shipment of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave. The shipment included enough ingredients for 500,000 meals to distribute in the strip, where hundreds of thousands of people are on the brink of famine.
