By : JD
Jordan Daily – Seven members of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) team were killed in an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strike in Gaza, the organization confirmed today. The team was traveling in a deconflicted zone in two armored vehicles and a soft skin vehicle, all marked with the WCK logo.
Despite having coordinated their movements with the IDF, the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse. The team had just unloaded over 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza via maritime routes, WCK noted in a statement seen by Jordan Daily.
Erin Gore, CEO of World Central Kitchen, expressed her devastation at the loss. “This is not only an attack against WCK, but 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,” she said.
The victims hailed from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Palestine, including a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada. Gore mourned the loss, saying, “I am heartbroken and appalled that we—World Central Kitchen and the world—lost beautiful lives today because of a targeted attack by the IDF.”
The IDF has stated that it is conducting an in-depth examination at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.
In response to the attack, World Central Kitchen has announced an immediate pause in its operations in the region, with decisions about the future of their work to be made soon.
