Six foreign aid workers from World Central Kitchen, including a US-Canada dual citizen, were killed in an airstrike in Gaza after delivering food to the region. The workers and their Palestinian driver were reportedly struck by a missile as they were leaving northern Gaza. The charity and a paramedic blamed Israel for the deaths, though the source of the missile could not be independently confirmed. The Israeli Defense Forces said they were reviewing the incident.
The nonprofit workers who were killed included citizens of Britain, Australia, Poland, and the US-Canada dual citizen. The Australian victim was identified as Zomi Frankcom, who worked as a manager for World Central Kitchen. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for full accountability for the tragedy and remembered her as a hero who died doing what she loved. Other victims have not yet been identified.
Footage of the workers showed them wearing protective gear with the charity’s logo. World Central Kitchen described their deaths as a tragedy and stressed that humanitarian aid workers and civilians should never be targeted. Chef José Andrés, the founder of the organization, criticized the Israeli government for the indiscriminate killing and use of food as a weapon.
Andrés called for Israel to stop the indiscriminate killing of civilians and aid workers, as well as to stop restricting humanitarian aid. Northern Gaza is facing a famine as Israeli forces have prevented aid delivery, making it too dangerous for trucks to reach the area due to ongoing airstrikes. Despite these challenges, relief efforts have been coordinated, with 400 tons of food and supplies arriving from Cyprus with the help of the Israeli military.
The conflict in Gaza began when Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, sparking Israel’s offensive. Since then, at least 32,845 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, according to the Health Ministry run by Hamas. The situation has raised concerns about the safety of humanitarian aid workers and the need for accountability in instances of violence against civilians and relief workers. The deaths of the World Central Kitchen workers have added to the urgency of addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
