World Central Kitchen says 7 volunteers killed in IDF strike in Gaza
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) -- The World Central Kitchen (WCK), a DC-based nonprofit owned by Celebrity Chef Jose Andres, said in a statement Tuesday that seven of its volunteers delivering aid in Gaza were killed by an IDF air strike on Monday night.
WCK said that the seven workers killed were identified as 25-year-old Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, of Palestine, 43-year-old Lalzawmi Frankcom, of Australia, 35-year-old Damian Soból, of Poland, 33-year-old Jacob Flickinger, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen, 57-year-old John Chapman, of the U.K., 33-year-old James Henderson, of the U.K., and 47-year-old James Kirby, of the U.K.
They were traveling in a deconflicted zone in two unarmored, clearly marked cars.
The team had just delivered more than 100 tons of food that had been dropped off via a maritime route to the Deir al-Balah warehouse in Gaza, the statement said. They said the route had been coordinated and preapproved by the IDF.
WCK has provided much-needed aid to Gaza. They have delivered over 40 million meals to Gazans throughout the Israel-Gaza war that started on Oct. 7. The organization recently started delivering aid through a newly opened maritime corridor after land-based aid trucks have had trouble getting into Gaza.
“This is not only an attack against WCK, this is 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,” said World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore.
As a result of the attack, the WCK is pausing operations in the region, which the UN's World Food Program states is "on the brink of famine."
The WCK's suspension will halt the operations of more than 60 kitchens in southern and central Gaza.
Andres said on X Tuesday that he is "heartbroken and grieving" the loss for their families, friends and the whole of WCK. He urged the Israeli government to stop what he called the "indiscriminate killing," which has targeted civilians and aid workers, and "using food as a weapon."
"They need to have a long-term, sustainable strategy that is not just a security strategy but also a political strategy if they really want to secure the future of Israel against the terrorist threat that has to date emanated from Gaza," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a press briefing Monday.
An IDF spokesperson, RAdm. Daniel Hagari, is reported to have already spoken with Chef Jose Andres.
He posted a statement on IDF's X account saying:
"We also express sincere sorrow to our allied nations who have been doing and continue to do so much to assist those in need," said Hagari. "We have been reviewing the incident in the highest levels to understand the circumstances of what happened and how it happened. We will be opening a probe to examine this serious incident further."