Israel air strike on Gaza kills seven aid workers from food charity

Food aid organisation World Central Kitchen (WCK) said on Tuesday (Apr 2) that an Israeli strike killed seven of its workers in the Gaza Strip.

Citizens from Australia, Britain and Poland were among the fatalities.

The workers, who also included Palestinians and a dual citizen of the United States and Canada, were travelling in two armoured cars emblazoned with the WCK logo and another vehicle, the US-based charity said in a statement.

Despite coordinating movements with the Israeli Defence Force, the convoy was hit as it was leaving its Deir al-Balah warehouse, after unloading more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza by sea, WCK said.

"This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organisations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war," said Erin Gore, chief executive of World Central Kitchen.

"This is unforgivable."

World Central Kitchen, founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres, said it was "pausing our operations in the region".

The Israeli military said it was doing a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of what it called a tragic incident.

"The IDF 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 military said.

Andres, who started WCK in 2010 by sending cooks and food to Haiti after an earthquake, earlier said he was heartbroken and grieving for the families and friends of those who died.

"The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing," he said on social media.

"It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon. No more innocent lives lost. Peace starts with our shared humanity. It needs to start now."

In a statement, Hamas said the attack aimed to terrorise workers of international humanitarian agencies, deterring them from their missions.

AUSTRALIA, POLAND CONFIRM DEATHS

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the death of Australian aid worker Lalzawmi "Zomi" Frankcom and said his government had contacted Israel to demand those responsible be held accountable.

"This is a human tragedy that should never have occurred, that is completely unacceptable and Australia will seek full and proper accountability," he said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Albanese said innocent civilians and those doing humanitarian work needed to be protected and reiterated his call for a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza along with more aid to help those suffering from "tremendous deprivation".

"Poland does not agree to the lack of compliance with international humanitarian law and of the protection of civilians, including humanitarian workers," the Polish foreign ministry said.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski also said he had asked the Israeli ambassador to Poland for "urgent explanations" after the strike killed one of its citizens, who was not named. 

"I personally asked the Israeli ambassador Yacov Livne for urgent explanations," he said on social media, adding that he had offered "condolences to the family of our brave volunteer".

Sikorski added Poland would open its own inquiry into the aid worker's death. 

Video obtained by Reuters showed paramedics moving bodies into a hospital and displaying the passports of three of those killed.

"We are heartbroken and deeply troubled by the strike that killed @WCKitchen aid workers in Gaza," US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said on social media.

"Humanitarian aid workers must be protected as they deliver aid that is desperately needed, and we urge Israel to swiftly investigate what happened."

HEARTBROKEN AND GRIEVING

WCK delivers food relief and prepares meals for people in need. It said last month it had served more than 42 million meals in Gaza over 175 days.

The charity was involved in the first shipment of aid to Gaza via a sea corridor from Cyprus in March. A second WCK maritime aid shipment of 332 tons arrived in Gaza early this week.

Since starting operations in 2010, the organisation has delivered food for communities hit by natural disasters, refugees at the US border, healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and people in conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.