GAZA, Palestine – The humanitarian organisation, World Central Kitchen(WCK) has aborted further delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza until further notice, following deliberate targeting and killing of seven workers in an air strike in Gaza.
In a statement, WCK said it is devastated to confirm seven members of the team killed in an IDF strike in Gaza as the team was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where it had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route.
“World Central Kitchen is pausing our operations immediately in the region. We will be making decisions about the future of our work soon”, the WCK said in a statement, adding that the “WCK team was traveling in a deconflicted zone in two armored cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle.
“Despite coordinating movements with the IDF, 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.
“This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” said World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore”, the group said, stressing that the seven killed are from Australia, Poland, United Kingdom, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, and Palestine.
“I am heartbroken and appalled that we—World Central Kitchen and the world—lost beautiful lives today because of a targeted attack by the IDF. 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,” said Erin.
The IDF says it is “carrying out an in-depth examination at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.”
