JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The IDF has opened an investigation after seven international aid workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) organization were killed in an airstrike in the Deir al-Balah area of the central Gaza Strip early Tuesday morning, according to a Jerusalem Post report.
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Palestinian sources claimed that the IDF struck the civilian car of the aid workers on a road near the beach. Airstrikes were also reported by Palestinian media in a separate part of Deir al-Balah at around the same time.
Following the reports, “the IDF began an in-depth investigation to understand the circumstances of the incident,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said.
The IDF added that it “makes extensive efforts to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, and has been working closely with WCK in their vital efforts to provide food and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” the statement said.
The WCK, which provides food in disaster areas, confirmed that seven of its workers were killed in an IDF strike in Gaza on Tuesday, adding that it was pausing operations in the region “immediately.”
“We will be making decisions about the future of our work soon,” added the organization. The seven killed in the strike include Australian, Polish, and British citizens, as well as a dual citizen of the US and Canada, and a Palestinian.
The team hit in the strike was “traveling in a deconflicted zone in two armored cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle,” according to the WCK.
The organization added that they had coordinated their movements with the IDF and that the convoy was hit after leaving a warehouse in Deir al-Balah, shortly after unloading over 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza through the maritime route from Cyprus.
“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.
“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 the CEO.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that Australian citizen Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom was one of the aid workers killed in the incident. Albanese demanded “full accountability,” saying, “This is a tragedy that should never have occurred,” according to Australian media.
Zomi Frankcom, WCK manager in Gaza
“The truth is that this is beyond any reasonable circumstances that someone going about providing aid and humanitarian assistance should lose their life and there were four aid workers as well as a Palestinian driver in this vehicle,” added Albanese.
I am always suspicious of these humanitarian organizations, they usually side with terorists, it’s not so human as they want it to sound,
Now they have an other opportunity to blame Israel, for thair agenda this is a positive occasion ,
This is a really terrible occurrence that should not have happened. Full investigation will be done which will shed more light on what exactly happened.
However, everyone there should know they are in an active war zone.
My biggest question though, is why is none of these “Aid” organizations are demanding visiting and giving aid to the innocent Israeli & foreign hostages, being held by the Palestinians in Gaza. (Not just Hamas, they are all helping hide them.) This was the whole cause of this war, and releasing the hostages will facilitate the end of it.
If you are functioning in a war zone things happen. It’s your choice to be there and yes even good people die. Just look at the thousands of Israelis at a rave that died because of hamas. They were civilians not a military target.