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Humanitarian organization World Central Kitchen, which killed seven aid workers in an Israeli airstrike earlier this month, announced on Sunday that it had resumed operations in Gaza.
Citing the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the organization said it would “with the same energy, dignity and focus” work to feed as many people as possible, while mourning the deaths of seven colleagues and friends. He said he would resume his activities.
“We have a decision to make: Either we shut down our food supply completely and our operations, which accounted for 62% of all international NGO aid, in the midst of one of the worst hunger crises in history, or we or continue to provide food, knowing that victims, aid workers, and civilians have been threatened and killed,” wrote WCK CEO Erin Gore.
She further added: “These are the most difficult conversations we have had, and we considered all points of view in our deliberations. Ultimately, we continue to provide food and our mission to feed people during the most difficult of times.” I decided that I had to continue.”
The announcement comes less than a month after an Israeli Defense Force (IDF) missile struck a three-vehicle convoy carrying seven people coordinating an aid shipment in central Gaza. Ta.
The seventh person is Saifeddin Issam Ayab Abutaha (25) from Palestine. Larzaumi Francome, 43 years old, from Australia. Damian Sobol, 35 years old, from Poland. Jacob Flickinger (33), dual citizen of the United States and Canada. British nationals John Chapman, 57, James Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47, all died.
After the tragedy, WCK temporarily suspended its activities.
The IDF has apologized for the incident, calling it a “mistake,” but the WCK has called for an “impartial and international investigation.”
Now, several weeks later, WCK is resuming its efforts to deliver as much food as possible to Gaza, including in northern Gaza. More than half of the population in northern Gaza is at risk of starvation, with little or no access to food or clean water due to the war.
WCK said it was preparing 276 trucks carrying the equivalent of about 8 million meals to pass through the Rafah intersection. They added that they were sending trucks from Jordan and exploring maritime corridors to deliver meals.
The Israeli offensive on Gaza, which began with an October 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages, has caused widespread devastation, killing more than 33,000 people.
Journalists and other humanitarian workers were also among the dead.
