World Central Kitchen, a food aid organization, reported Tuesday that an Israeli strike killed seven of its Gaza workers.
In a statement, the aid organization wrote, “World Central Kitchen is devastated to confirm seven members of our team have been killed in an IDF strike in Gaza”.
“Those killed were from Australia, Poland, United Kingdom, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada and Palestine”, the statement reads.
The humanitarian organization also stated that it was pausing its operations in the region.
Since the war began in October, World Central Kitchen has been participating in aid activities, including supplying meals to starving Gaza residents.
It is one of two NGOs spearheading attempts to send aid to Gaza by boat from Cyprus and it also helped build a temporary jetty.
The NGO stated that its crew was traveling in a deconflicted area in a convoy of two armored cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft-skin vehicle at the time of the strike.
“Despite coordinating movements with the IDF, the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route”, the statement continued.
Adrienne Watson, US National Security Council spokesperson, stated that the White House was heartbroken and deeply troubled by the strike.
Watson went on to say, “Humanitarian aid workers must be protected as they deliver aid that is desperately needed, and we urge Israel to swiftly investigate what happened”.
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