At least four foreign aid workers and their Palestinian translator have been killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting the city of Deir al-Balah in the central part of the Gaza Strip, which is enduring a genocidal Israeli war.
Gaza’s Government Media Office announced the information on Monday, saying the victims were all employees of the World Central Kitchen (WCK), a food aid charity.
It said the foreigners included citizens of Australia, the UK, and Poland.
“This is a tragedy. Humanitarian aid workers and civilians should NEVER be a target. EVER,” the WCK posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The Gaza-based resistance movement of Hamas said the attack had sought to “terrorize” workers of international humanitarian agencies and deter them from pursuing their missions.
The Israeli regime began the war on October 7 after Gaza’s resistance groups carried out Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.
Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed around 32,800 Palestinians and injured nearly 75,300 others.
Chef Jose Andres, who started the WCK in 2010, said on X that he was heartbroken and grieving for the families and friends of those who had died in the airstrike.
The Israeli regime, he said, “needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon.”
Last month, the United Nations warned that in the absence of any changes in the war, Gaza was on course to experience all-out famine.
“No more innocent lives lost. Peace starts with our shared humanity. It needs to start now,” Andres added.
An Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said reports of the death of an Australian aid worker were very distressing.
“We have been clear on the need for civilian lives to be protected in this conflict. We have been very clear that we expect humanitarian workers in Gaza to have safe and unimpeded access to do their lifesaving work,” the spokesperson said.
