WCK Suspends Operations in Gaza After Deadly Israeli Airstrike
Gaza (Quds News Network)- World Central Kitchen (WCK), a US-based humanitarian organization, announced it would suspend its operations in Gaza on Saturday. This followed an Israeli airstrike that hit a vehicle carrying several of its employees, killing a number of them.
The organization issued a statement saying it “had no knowledge that any individual in the vehicle had alleged ties to the October 7th” operation. The Israeli military had confirmed that a Palestinian staff member was killed in the strike, claiming that he had ties to Hamas.
ارتقاء 4 شهداء جراء قصف الاحتلال لمركبة منظمة "المطبخ المركزي العالمي" على شارع صلاح الدين شمال شرقي مدينة خانيونس. pic.twitter.com/5OZs2lY9MG
— القسطل الإخباري (@AlQastalps) November 30, 2024
The Israeli army claimed the individual was a “terrorist” who had infiltrated Israel and participated in the October 7 military operation.
Israeli forces insisted that their airstrike targeted a civilian vehicle that did not display any aid organization markings. They also claimed the vehicle was not coordinating its movement for humanitarian purposes.
However, Gaza’s Civil Defense spokesperson confirmed that at least five people were killed in the strike, including three WCK employees. The men were traveling in a clearly marked WCK vehicle in Khan Younis, according to the spokesperson.
This attack follows a similar incident in April when Israeli airstrikes killed seven World Central Kitchen employees, including individuals from Australia, the UK, the US, Palestine, and Poland. Israel claimed it targeted a Hamas militant during that operation, a claim that had to proof.
The suspension of WCK’s operations in Gaza adds to the disastrous situation as Israel continues to besiege the strip and divide it. Several reports of deaths of hunger surfaced as a result of the Israeli siege.
