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World Central Kitchen delivers aid to the people of Gaza (March 15)
Photo: Israel Defense Forces / REUTERS
The exact circumstances have not yet been completely clarified. But as of now, at least five employees of the non-governmental organization (NGO) World Central Kitchen (WCK) have been killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas government media office. The incident occurred in the center of the Gaza Strip, in Deir al-Balah.
The Hamas-controlled Health Ministry said four foreign aid workers and their Palestinian driver were killed when their car was targeted in an Israeli attack. These are people with British, Australian and Polish citizenship. The nationality of the fourth person was initially unclear. The fifth person was a Palestinian driver and translator.
Information from Hamas, especially regarding victims in Gaza, is difficult to independently verify. However, World Central Kitchen has now confirmed that members of their team were killed in an attack. On the social media platform X, WCK wrote: »This is a tragedy. Humanitarian workers and civilians should never be a target. Never."
The group "lost several of our sisters and brothers" in an attack by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, said WCK founder and head of the organization, Jose Andres. He called on the Israeli government to stop the "indiscriminate killing." "It must stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon."
The Israeli military also commented on the reports and stated that it wanted to conduct a thorough investigation at the highest level.
Australian government seeks clarification
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a radio interview with state broadcaster ABC on Tuesday that his country's foreign ministry was investigating the reports. "The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is working hard to confirm reports that an Australian development worker has died in Gaza," the ministry said a little later.
WCK delivers groceries and prepares meals for those in need. The organization said it served more than 42 million meals in the Gaza Strip in 175 days last month. On "Our more than 60 kitchens in the southern and central Gaza Strip cook hundreds of thousands of meals every day (...)," says WCK.
The organization also sent a ship with relief supplies from Cyprus to the Gaza Strip in mid-March. The tug “Open Arms” set sail from the Cypriot port of Larnaka and was carrying a platform with around 200 tons of relief supplies. The mission was considered a pilot project to improve supplies for more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, who are currently lacking virtually everything because of the war.
jok/Reuters