International food charity NGO World Central Kitchen said it is suspending its operations in Gaza after seven of its workers were killed in an Israeli air strike Monday.
The seven staff members of WCK who lost their lives while on duty are a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, a Palestinian, and citizens of Australia, Poland and U.K.
The not-for-profit non-governmental organization devoted to providing meals in conflict zones said its team was traveling in “a deconflicted zone” in two armored cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle when it came under attack.
Despite coordinating movements with the Israel Defense Forces, the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse in central Gaza, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route.
“This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” said World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore.
The IDF said on Tuesday that it is carrying out an in-depth examination at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.
Since the conflict broke out in the Middle East in October, World Central Kitchen has provided more than 41 million meals to the starving Gaza population. By setting up a network of dozens of kitchens, its volunteers delivered desperately needed aid by land, air, and sea.
As WCK temporarily withdraws from its mission, the situation of communities facing starvation will turn worse, reports say.
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