World Central Kitchen says seven team members killed in Israeli strike
World Central Kitchen (WCK) has confirmed that seven of its team members were killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza. The seven aid workers killed are from Australia, Palestine, Poland and the United Kingdom, as well as a dual citizen of the US and Canada, WCK said.
The aid workers were “traveling in a deconflicted zone in two armored cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle,” the statement said.
“Despite coordinating movements with the [Israeli army], the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route,” WCK added.
The organisation had initially reported that five staff had been killed in the attack.
WCK CEO Erin Gore said: “I am heartbroken and appalled that we – World Central Kitchen and the world – lost beautiful lives today because of a targeted attack by the [Israeli military].
“The love they had for feeding people, the determination they embodied to show that humanity rises above all, and the impact they made in countless lives will forever be remembered and cherished,” Gore said.
“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,” said Gore. “This is unforgivable”
The statement added that WCK is pausing our operations “immediately” in the region and would “make decisions about the future of our work soon”.
According to a post shared on social media before the attack, WCK was operating more than 60 kitchens in central and southern Gaza, cooking hundreds of thousands of meals each day.
World Central Kitchen is devastated to confirm seven members of our team have been killed in an IDF strike in Gaza. Read our full statement on the loss of our team members here: https://t.co/gsijamzfMU pic.twitter.com/PtQCxX5XrW
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) April 2, 2024
Aid worker shared video from Gaza kitchen before deadly Israeli air strike
Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom shared a video showing World Central Kitchen (WCK) chefs preparing a beef and vegetable stew in Gaza’s Deir el-Balah before she and four others were killed in an Israeli attack.
Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, who spoke with the aid workers hours before the attack, says that WCK workers are “well recognised in the Gaza Strip” and have been working with at least 100 local kitchens to prepare hot meals and food parcels for months.
Earlier we reported that Jose Andres, the Spanish-American chef who founded WCK, said that the organisation had “lost several of our sisters and brothers in an [Israeli] air strike in Gaza”.
According to the most recent UN food security assessment, an estimated 1.1 million people – about half of the Gaza Strip’s total population – are experiencing “catastrophic” hunger in Gaza due to the Israeli siege of the territory and restrictions of the flow of humanitarian aid.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C48Kn7eNKtr
Cue the full round of statements, any actions?
Australia’s PM demands ‘full accountability’ over death of Gaza aid worker
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom in Gaza was “completely unacceptable” and he is demanding “full accountability”.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has requested a “call-in from the Israeli ambassador”, Albanese said.
‘Israel committing war crime after war crime in broad daylight’: Australian senator
Mehreen Faruqi, deputy Leader of the Australian Greens and a senator for New South Wales, told Al Jazeera the Australian government has not done enough to criticise Israel’s war on Gaza.
“Israel is committing war crime after war crime in broad daylight and is getting away with it,” she said. “Zomi was an Australian aid worker, like other aid workers, who are putting their lives on the line to feed the children that are being starved by Israel [and] are being killed,” Faruqi added.
“This is completely heartbreaking and devastating,” she continued.
Faruqi said Albanese’s statement was “the bare minimum”, and called for concrete actions such as demanding a permanent ceasefire, backing South Africa’s genocide case at the International Court of Justice, placing sanctions on the Israeli war cabinet and stopping all arms trade with Israel.
“These are things that we do when other war crimes happen,” she noted.
“Nowhere is safe in Gaza under Israel’s genocide attacks and yet and yet we have seen Western governments call Israel a friend and … continue on business as usual with Israel while these war crimes and more atrocities are going ahead.”
Cyprus condemns killings of World Central Kitchen workers
Cyprus offered condolences to those close to World Central Kitchen aid workers killed in an Israeli air strike.
“[International humanitarian law] principles are absolute: humanitarian aid workers must always be respected and protected. We call on a swift and conclusive investigation,” its Foreign Ministry said on X.
Norwegian Refugee Council condemns aid worker killings
The secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, shared his condolences over the killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza. “Nowhere else are so many aid workers killed,” he said on X, adding a call for a ceasefire.
We are mourning with our colleagues in WCK.
7 of their aid workers were killed by an Israeli air strike in Gaza.
WCK had informed the IDF of their movement.
Nowhere else are so many aid workers killed.
There must be an immediate ceasefire. Enough now.https://t.co/uBNSx5vocf
— Jan Egeland (@NRC_Egeland) April 2, 2024
Belgium foreign minister says aid workers ‘must be protected’
Belgium’s foreign minister has denounced the killings of aid workers in Gaza after seven World Central Kitchen staff were killed there. “Aid workers do essential work and must be protected, just like civilians,” said Hadja Lahbib, adding “too many of them are victims of the conflict in Gaza”.
“Even in war, there are rules. All parties must respect them. Such acts are unacceptable.”
Poland’s Foreign Ministry reacts to killing of Polish aid volunteer
In a post on X, the ministry extended its condolences to the family of a humanitarian killed alongside six others by an Israeli air strike on their aid convoy in Gaza. “Poland objects to the disregard for international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians, including humanitarian workers,” said the Foreign Ministry.
Foreign ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski told reporters Poland is checking on reports of the death. “We are currently urgently verifying this information. We have asked the Israeli authorities, security forces and the Israeli armed forces for explanations.”
Egypt condemns killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers
The country’s Foreign Ministry has said in a statement that the killings were “blatant” violations of international law.
It also called for a full investigation into the aid workers’ killings and said it was renewing its demand that Israel “implement Security Council resolutions”, ensuring “safe and sustainable access for humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip”.
UK demands ‘transparent’ Israeli probe into deadly charity attack
British Foreign Minister David Cameron called on Israel to provide a transparent explanation into the deadly attack on the aid workers from World Central Kitchen. At least one UK national was reportedly among the seven dead.
‘Full accountability is needed’ after deadly attack on aid workers
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says he’s “shocked and saddened” by the killing of at least one British aid worker in Gaza following an Israeli attack. “Clearly there are questions that need to be answered,” said Sunak.
Ireland also condemned the killing by the Israeli military of the seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen charity. “Appalled by the deaths of humanitarian workers in an Israeli strike, killed providing life-saving aid to the people of Gaza,” Irish Foreign and Defence Minister Micheal Martin said on X.
“Full accountability is needed. This again underlines the need for an immediate ceasefire to protect civilians and allow full humanitarian access.”
UAE condemns Israeli attack on World Central Kitchen team
Afra al-Hameli, director of strategic communications at the Emirati foreign ministry, says the UAE holds Israel “fully responsible for this dangerous development” and called for an urgent, independent and transparent investigation.
The UAE also called for the “punishment of those who have committed this heinous crime in contravention of international humanitarian law”.
The ministry stressed the importance of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza “and avoiding the targeting of civilians, organisations, civilian facilities, and relief organisations”.
Double standards on display here as well. Frequent bombing of many more Palestinian aid workers hardly got any attention.
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