Six international aid workers and a Palestinian driver were killed in an Israeli air raid, confirmed by the aid group World Central Kitchen (WCK) on Tuesday.
The victims, hailing from Palestine, Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the US-Canada, were targeted while delivering food in Gaza. WCK, suspending operations in the region, expressed shock as their convoy, marked with their logo and coordinated with the Israeli army, was hit.
The attack dealt a severe blow to humanitarian efforts amid Gaza's looming famine, worsened by Israeli restrictions.
CEO Erin Gore denounced the strike as an assault on aid organizations combating food warfare. The bodies of the deceased aid workers will be repatriated, while the Palestinian driver's family will receive his remains for burial.
