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Seven support staff, together with overseas nationals, from the non-profit World Central Kitchen had been killed in an Israeli army strike as they had been delivering meals to ravenous civilians in Gaza.
World Central Kitchen mentioned its support staff had been touring in a “deconflicted zone” in two armored automobiles branded with the charity’s emblem in addition to “a comfortable pores and skin automobile.”
“Regardless of coordinating actions with the IDF [Israel Defense Forces], the convoy was hit because it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, the place the workforce had unloaded greater than 100 tons of humanitarian meals support dropped at Gaza on the maritime route,” the group mentioned in a press release.
These killed embody a twin US-Canada nationwide, in addition to individuals from Australia, Poland, three from the UK, and a Palestinian, the group mentioned.
Movies obtained by CNN present the bloodied our bodies of a number of victims carrying World Central Kitchen vests following the airstrike within the central metropolis of Deir Al-Balah.
World Central Kitchen mentioned it was pausing its operations following the lethal strike and assessing the way forward for its operations in Gaza.
“I’m heartbroken and appalled that we – World Central Kitchen and the world – misplaced stunning lives at the moment due to a focused assault by the IDF,” World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore mentioned within the assertion.
“The love they’d for feeding individuals, the dedication they embodied to point out that humanity rises above all, and the affect they made in numerous lives will without end be remembered and cherished,” Gore added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday acknowledged that the help staff had been “unintentionally” focused.
“Sadly, within the final day, there was a tragic incident the place our forces unintentionally struck harmless individuals within the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu mentioned in a video posted to social media. “It occurs in struggle, and we’re totally investigating it. We’re involved with the governments and can do every part to stop such occurrences in the future.”
The IDF had beforehand mentioned that it’s “conducting an intensive evaluation on the highest ranges to know the circumstances of this tragic incident.”
IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari mentioned he had spoken to World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres to precise “the deepest condolences of the Israel Protection Forces to the households and all the World Central Kitchen household.”
US President Joe Biden’s administration can also be in contact with Andres, a senior administration official informed CNN on Tuesday.
The Washington-headquartered charity gives meals to disaster-struck areas and communities world wide. It is among the few support organizations delivering desperately wanted meals in Gaza the place 2.2 million individuals do not need sufficient to eat, and the place support businesses warn half of the inhabitants is getting ready to hunger and famine resulting from Israel’s throttling of support and widespread destruction.
“At the moment @WCKitchen misplaced a number of of our sisters and brothers in an IDF air strike in Gaza,” Andres, the charity’s founder, wrote on X. “I’m heartbroken and grieving for his or her households and pals and our complete WCK household.”
“The Israeli authorities must cease this indiscriminate killing. It must cease limiting humanitarian support, cease killing civilians and support staff, and cease utilizing meals as a weapon,” he added.
“These are individuals… angels… I served alongside in Ukraine, Gaza, Turkey, Morocco, Bahamas, Indonesia. They aren’t faceless… they don’t seem to be anonymous.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recognized the Australian sufferer as Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom.
“That is somebody who volunteered in Australia to assist individuals through the bushfires. That is somebody who was volunteering abroad to offer support by means of this charity for people who find themselves struggling super deprivation in Gaza,” Albanese mentioned.
“Australia expects full accountability for the deaths of support staff, which is totally unacceptable.”
He mentioned the Australian authorities has already contacted the Israeli authorities immediately, and that the Division of International Affairs and Commerce had requested a “call-in” from the Israeli ambassador to Australia.
Polish authorities confirmed that one in every of its nationals, Damian Sobol from the city of Przemysl, was killed as nicely.
Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland’s overseas minister, mentioned he personally requested Israel’s envoy to the nation to ship an “pressing” rationalization. Sikorski mentioned he was assured “that Poland would quickly obtain the outcomes of the investigation into this tragedy.”
The UK additionally summoned Israel’s envoy to the nation over the incident. The nation’s minister of state for growth and Africa mentioned three British nationals had been killed within the strike.
Saif Issam Abu-Taha, a Palestinian driver and translator working with World Central Kitchen, was named as one of many victims by Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza.
Hamas condemned the assault in a press release on Tuesday, urging the worldwide group and the United Nations to “take motion.”
“This crime as soon as once more confirms that the occupation continues its coverage of deliberate killing of harmless civilians, worldwide reduction groups, and humanitarian organizations, in its efforts to terrorize these working in them and stop them from finishing up their humanitarian duties,” it mentioned within the assertion.
US Nationwide Safety Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson mentioned on X that the White Home was “heartbroken and deeply troubled” by the killings. Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of International Affairs, mentioned Beijing was “shocked” by the assault.
Different charities had been fast to mourn the losses and reward World Central Kitchen’s dedication to serving to these in want within the face of hazard.
Matthew Hollingworth, the World Meals Programme’s Palestine director praised the “life-saving work” of these killed, whereas Norwegian Refugee Council Secretary Basic Jan Egeland referred to as for a right away ceasefire.
“Nowhere else are so many support staff killed,” Egeland mentioned.
Barak Ravid, a Center East professional and CNN political and international affairs analyst, mentioned his sources in Israel painted an image of “confusion” and “embarrassment” after the World Central Kitchen staff’ deaths.
World Central Kitchen was “an NGO that that the IDF labored very carefully with, as a result of half of what World Central Kitchen did was to deliver meals to Gaza by means of the ocean,” Ravid mentioned.
“The IDF needed to point out that by working with this group, it’s addressing the meals shortages in Gaza,” he added. “And now just a few days later, the IDF allegedly hits… support staff from this group.”
Chris Cobb-Smith, a former British Military artillery officer and munitions professional, mentioned the heavy harm to a few autos seen in video and pictures from the scene was in line with using “extremely correct drone fired missiles.” He mentioned it was “arduous to imagine” the tragic incident was an accident, however cautioned that he would want to examine missile fragments from the scene to offer an intensive evaluation.
The drone which fired the deadly missiles would have been operated at the side of a surveillance drone, Cobb-Smith mentioned, that means the Israeli army would have had complete visibility of the automobiles, a minimum of two of which had been branded with the World Central Kitchen emblem on their roofs.
Ravid identified that this isn’t the primary time support staff have allegedly come beneath fireplace by Israeli forces. The overwhelming majority of support staff who’ve been killed have been Palestinians and their households.
For the reason that newest struggle started following Hamas’ October 7 homicide and kidnap rampage by means of southern Israel, a minimum of 165 staff with the United Nations Reduction and Works Company for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) have been killed, the company mentioned final month.
Monday’s tragedy prompted one other support group, American Close to East Refugee Assist (Anera), to droop its operations in Gaza to guard its workers.
“Delivering support safely is not possible,” Anera mentioned in a press release.
The World Central Kitchen has made headlines lately for coordinating meals reduction for hundreds of individuals after an earthquake devastated Haiti, Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, wildfires scorched Southern California, and a refugee disaster intensified on the Venezuelan border.
In March, the non-profit led an initiative to ship 200 tons of meals support to Gaza – which it mentioned was the primary maritime cargo of humanitarian support to the Palestinian enclave.
The cargo included sufficient elements for 500,000 meals that World Central Kitchen deliberate to distribute within the strip, the place tons of of hundreds individuals are getting ready to famine.
The maritime hall working from Cyprus to Gaza will stay open regardless of the assault, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides mentioned on Tuesday.
“The tragic occasions mustn’t discourage us,” Christodoulides mentioned. “We should double down on our efforts to offer extra help because the wants dramatically escalate.”
It is a creating story and has been up to date.
CNN’s Benjamin Brown, Tala Alrajjal, Radina Gigova and Antonia Mortensen contributed to this report