Seven people from an NGO that brings food to civilians in Gaza were killed in an Israeli attack

Seven aid workers, including foreigners, who were delivering food to civilians in Gaza were killed in an Israeli military attack, according to the organization World Central Kitchen and authorities in the besieged enclave, reports CNN.

UPDATE 10.55. The death toll rose to seven, the organization said, adding that it was suspending its activities in the region.

Among the victims are citizens ‘from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, a citizen with dual American and Canadian nationality, and a Palestinian person’, stated World Central Kitchen.

Original news:

Video footage obtained by CNN shows the bodies of several people wearing World Central Kitchen vests following an airstrike in the central city of Deir Al-Balah. In the images you can see passports from Great Britain, Poland and Australia. World Central Kitchen provides food to regions and communities affected by disasters. It is one of the few humanitarian organizations delivering desperately needed food to Gaza, where 2.2 million people are without food and where aid agencies warn that half the population is on the brink of starvation due to Israel’s blockade of aid and large-scale destruction.

World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés confirmed the five deaths to CNN. “Today @WCKitchen lost several of our sisters and brothers in an IDF airstrike in Gaza,” Andrés tweeted. “I am heartbroken and saddened for their families and friends and for our entire WCK family.” “The Israeli government must stop this indiscriminate killing. It must stop obstructing humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon,” he added.

In a statement on Monday, World Central Kitchen said it was “aware of reports that members of the World Central Kitchen team were killed in an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) attack while working to support efforts our humanitarian food delivery to Gaza”.

“This is a tragedy. Aid workers and civilians should NEVER be targeted. EVER. We will share more information when we have all the facts,” the statement read. The IDF said it was “conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.”

The Australian government is “urgently seeking to confirm reports” that an Australian aid worker has died in Gaza, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said on Tuesday, according to a statement sent to CNN. “These reports are very distressing. We have been clear about the need for civilian lives to be protected in this conflict. We have been very clear that we expect aid workers in Gaza to have safe and unfettered access to do their rescue work of lives”, the statement says.

Publisher: GM

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