Israeli Airstrike on Gaza Kills Foreign Aid Workers, Media Office Reports

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - At least five employees of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) non-governmental organization, including foreigners, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza, said the Gaza government media office on Monday.

Those killed in the incident in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah included citizens of Poland, Australia, and Britain, as well as one Palestinian, a spokesperson for the media office said.

"We are aware of reports that members of the World Central Kitchen team have been killed in an IDF attack while working to support our humanitarian food delivery efforts in Gaza," WCK posted on X. "This is a tragedy. Humanitarian aid workers and civilians should NEVER be a target. EVER."

Commenting on the reports, the Israeli military said it was conducting 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 statement said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a radio interview with state broadcaster ABC that the country's foreign ministry was "urgently investigating" the reports.

An Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said reports of the death of an Australian aid worker were very distressing.

"We have been clear on the need for civilian lives to be protected in this conflict. We have been very clear that we expect humanitarian workers in Gaza to have safe and unimpeded access to do their lifesaving work," the spokesperson said.

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

The 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.

Chef Jose Andres started the WCK in 2010 by sending cooks and food to Haiti after an earthquake. The organization has since 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.

In its recent post on X, WCK said on Monday that its teams mobilize across Gaza to distribute food to displaced Palestinians. “Our 60+ kitchens in southern and central Gaza are cooking hundreds of thousands of meals each day like this mujaddara, a comforting dish of rice, lentils, and caramelized onions,” it wrote.

In a statement, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas said the attack aimed to "terrorize" workers of international humanitarian agencies and deter them from pursuing their missions.

REUTERS

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