World Central Kitchen announced plans to resume aid operations in Gaza starting on Monday after temporarily halting relief efforts following the deaths of seven of its workers in an Israeli airstrike on April 1. The charity had distributed over 43 million meals in Gaza before the attack disrupted the flow of food, leaving many displaced Gazans at risk of starvation.
In response to the killings, several organizations pulled their aid workers from the area and called for an investigation into the deaths of civilians providing assistance. President Joe Biden criticized Israel for not doing enough to protect civilians following the tragedy. Israel Defense Forces took responsibility for the attack and pledged to investigate the incident.
Despite the risks, World Central Kitchen is determined to continue its mission of providing food to those in need. The organization is ready to deliver millions of meals to Gaza through the Rafah Crossing and from Jordan. A new high-production kitchen named “Damian’s Kitchen” will be established in memory of one of the workers who lost his life in the attack.
The decision to resume operations was a difficult one, considering
