Food aid organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) said on Tuesday (2 April) that an Israeli strike killed seven of its workers in the Gaza Strip.
Nationals from Australia, Britain and Poland were among the fatalities.
The workers, who also include Palestinians and dual citizens of the United States and Canada, traveled in two armored cars bearing the WCK logo and other vehicles, the US-based charity said in a statement.
Despite coordinating movements with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the convoy was attacked as it left the Deir al-Balah warehouse, after unloading more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza by sea, WCK said.
“This is not just an attack on WCK, this is an attack on a humanitarian organization that has emerged in the most dire 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 “suspending our operations in the region”.
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 is making extensive efforts to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, and has worked closely with WCK in their critical efforts to provide food and humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza,” the military said.
Andres, who started WCK in 2010 by sending cooks and food to Haiti after the earthquake, previously said he was heartbroken and mourning the families and friends of those who died.
“The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing,” he said on social media.
“They need to stop limiting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon. No more innocent lives will be lost. Peace starts from our shared humanity. This must start now.”
In a statement, Hamas said the attacks were aimed at terrorizing international humanitarian agency workers, preventing them from carrying out their missions.
