World Central Kitchen set to renew work in Gaza after deadly strike

The World Central Kitchen has announced its resumption of operations in the Gaza Strip, four weeks after seven of its employees were killed in an Israeli air attack.

In a statement on Sunday, they stated, “We were compelled to make a decision: either to cease entirely the provision of food aid during one of the most severe hunger crises ever, and terminate our operation, which constituted 62 per cent of total international NGO aid; or to persist with nutrition provision despite the intimidation and killing of aid workers and civilians.”

The World Central Kitchen affirmed its commitment to seeking answers and pushing for change to safeguard its workers and others, stressing, “Our call for an impartial and international investigation remains unchanged.”

The charity pledged to persist in its efforts to bring the greatest possible quantity of food into Gaza, whether by land, air, or sea. Presently, they report that 276 trucks, containing 8 million ready-made meals, are poised to enter through the Rafah crossing in the south of the Strip, alongside trucks from Jordan.

Seven World Central Kitchen employees were killed on April 1, when Israeli drones targeted three vehicles carrying employees departing from a warehouse in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army termed the drone strikes a “serious mistake” resulting from mistaken identity, whereas the Global Central Kitchen affirmed that the Israeli army intentionally targeted its aid convoy in Gaza.

The organization’s Executive Director, Irene Gore, and Co-CEO and Treasurer, Javier Garcia, remarked in a joint statement, “This was a military attack comprising multiple strikes that targeted three of the organization’s vehicles,” confirming that the vehicles were transporting civilians.

They added that the vehicles bore markings signifying their affiliation with the organisation, and highlighted that their movements were fully coordinated with the Israeli authorities, who were apprised of their plans, route, and humanitarian mission.