Seven World Central Kitchen aid workers were killed Monday night when their convoy came under fire in the Gaza Strip, aid groups and Gaza health authorities said.
A disaster relief organization founded by Spanish chef Jose Andrés said the convoy had been damaged in an Israeli attack. In a statement after the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “tragic incident in which our military unintentionally attacked innocent people.” He said Israel was in contact with foreign governments regarding the incident.
Here's what we know:
The three-vehicle convoy had just left a food warehouse.
World Central Kitchen staff were emerging from a warehouse in Deir al-Balah, a city in the central Gaza Strip, when their convoy – two armored vehicles and a third – came under shelling late Monday. The organization announced in a statement.
The charity said the Israeli military had been informed of the aid workers' movement. Aid workers had just unloaded more than 100 tons of food, which had been shipped to Gaza by sea, into a warehouse, the group said.
Video and photos reviewed by The New York Times suggest the convoy was attacked multiple times. Images show three destroyed white vehicles, with the northernmost and southernmost vehicles nearly 1.5 miles apart.
The World Central Kitchen logo was visible on the charred interior items of the northernmost and southernmost vehicles. The car in the center had a gaping hole in its roof, with the group's logo clearly etched into it. All three vehicles were on or near the Al Rashid Coastal Road, although they were far apart from each other.
As of Tuesday morning, it remained unclear what kind of munitions hit the car and whether those explosives were launched from the ground or from a fighter jet or drone.
Six foreigners and one Palestinian were killed.
World Central Kitchen said one of those killed was a dual citizen of the United States and Canada, while the others were from Australia, the United Kingdom, Gaza and Poland. Their names were not disclosed.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese identified one of the victims as Zomi Francom, an Australian national and senior manager at World Central Kitchen. “The tributes to Lalzaumi 'Zomi' Francome speak of a life dedicated to service to others, including fellow Australians, in times of natural disaster,” said Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Ta. Social media.
Damian Sobol, an aid worker from the city of Przemysl in southeastern Poland, was killed in the attack, Mayor Wojciech Bakun said. “There are no words to describe what those who knew this wonderful man are feeling at this time,” he said in a social media post.
David Cameron, British Foreign Secretary, said on social media Three of the aid workers killed were British nationals, but their names were not released. He added that he had spoken with the Israeli side to express his concerns.
Palestinian doctors recovered the bodies of the seven victims and took them to a hospital in Deir al-Balah, the Palestinian Red Crescent said. The body of the foreigner will be transferred from Gaza to Egypt, the group said.
Saif Abu Taha, 26, a Gazan national who worked as a driver and translator at World Central Kitchen, was also killed in the attack. His younger brother Shadi said Abu Taha was an enterprising young man who worked in his father's company and spoke fluent English.
Abu Taha and other World Central Kitchen employees were excited to have the opportunity to drop off much-needed food aid. “They were so excited, like they were going to a wedding,” the younger brother said. That was the last time I saw him.
“It is essential that humanitarian workers are protected and able to carry out their work,” Prime Minister David Cameron said on social media. He called on Israel to “immediately investigate what happened and provide a full and transparent explanation.”
At least 196 aid workers were killed in Gaza and the West Bank between October 2023 and the end of March, according to Jamie McGoldrick, a senior United Nations relief official. “This is not an isolated incident,” he said, later adding: “There is no safe place left in Gaza.”
The Prime Minister appears to have taken responsibility for the “unintentional” attack.
In a video statement on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to “tragic incidents in which our forces unintentionally harmed innocent people in the Gaza Strip.” Prime Minister Netanyahu did not mention World Central Kitchen by name in his remarks.
But an Israeli official familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity because the attack was still under investigation, said the prime minister had mentioned the attack.
“This is what happens in wars. We are investigating this thoroughly, we are in contact with governments, and we will take all steps to ensure this never happens again,” Netanyahu said.
An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss an internal investigation, said the military had concluded that Israel was responsible for the attack on the convoy. Israeli army chief of staff Gen. Helj Halevi is scheduled to review the results of an initial investigation into the incident on Tuesday night, the official said.
Israeli military spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari said the investigation had been referred to the Fact-Finding and Evaluation Mechanism, a military agency tasked with investigating accusations and investigating the circumstances behind battlefield episodes. Stated. “We will be launching an investigation to further investigate this serious incident,” he said. “This will help reduce the risk of an event like this happening again.”
The Israeli military said the organization was an “independent, professional and specialized institution.” Human rights groups have generally criticized the Israeli military's ability to conduct transparent investigations, charging that investigations are often lengthy and rarely lead to prosecutions.
The World Central Kitchen relief ship returns to Cyprus.
At the time of the strike, workers were unloading 100 tons of aid from the World Central Kitchen ship Jennifer, which left the Cyprus port of Larnaca over the weekend and arrived in Gaza on Monday. Another 240 tonnes are expected to be unloaded on Tuesday, Cyprus Foreign Ministry spokesman Theodoros Gosis said.
Gosis said the Jennifer instead departed from Gaza and returned to Larnaca on Tuesday. He added that several more tonnes of aid were waiting in warehouses in Larnaca, but it was unclear when or if a mission would take place to deliver them.
Patrick Kingsley, Lawan Sheikh Ahmad, Gabby Sobelman, Matina Stevis-Gridnev, Lauren Leatherby and Nader Ibrahim provided reporting for this article.
