World Central Kitchen (WCK), a charity organization that provides food to people in need, announced on Saturday that it would pause its operations in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike hit a vehicle carrying its workers. The Israeli military confirmed that a Palestinian employee of WCK was killed in the attack, accusing the worker of being involved in a terrorist group. However, WCK denied knowing about any ties between its workers and the attack in October 2023.
The strike took place in Khan Yunis, a city in southern Gaza, and reports said that three WCK employees were among the five people killed. The workers were in a clearly marked WCK vehicle at the time. WCK expressed concern about the incomplete information they had at the time, but confirmed that the strike hit its staff members.
The Israeli military responded by stating that the vehicle was not properly coordinated for transporting aid and accused the charity of employing workers involved in the October attack. This attack on WCK staff follows a similar tragedy in April when seven WCK workers were killed by an Israeli airstrike. While Israel claimed the strike targeted a Hamas gunman, it later admitted to making several “grave mistakes.”
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza has led to the deaths of thousands. According to the United Nations, 333 aid workers, including 243 employees of the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, have been killed since the war began in October. The violence erupted after an attack by Palestinian militants killed more than 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians. In response, Israel’s military actions have resulted in over 44,000 deaths in Gaza.
