Seven aid workers killed in Israeli airstrike

Seven employees of World Central Kitchen, a U.S.-based food aid NGO, were killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza on Monday. Several countries have condemned the strike and are demanding an explanation from Israel.

"World Central Kitchen is devastated to confirm seven members of our team have been killed in an IDF strike in Gaza," World Central Kitchen said. The victims are from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, a dual citizen of the United States and Canada, and Palestine.

The employees were killed while working on a humanitarian mission to deliver food to Gaza, World Central Kitchen said. The NGO is suspending operations in the region, where famine is imminent. 

Countries demand explanation

Several countries strongly condemned the attack on Tuesday. Polish Foreign minister Radoslav Sikorski demanded an explanation from Israel, as did Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez. 

British Foreign secretary David Cameron also called for transparency. Belgian Foreign minister Hadja Lahbib said "too many" humanitarian workers had fallen victim to the conflict and called Monday's act "unacceptable."

IDF promises investigation

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, condemned the airstrike. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the United States was "heartbroken and deeply troubled" by the strike and urged Israel to "swiftly investigate what happened". 

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said the Israeli military will be "opening a probe to examine this serious incident further." "This will help us reduce the risk of such an event from occuring again," said Hagari, adding he had contacted the NGO's founder, José Andrés, to offer his condolences to the families and the organization.

^{People gather around the carcass of a car used by World Central Kitchen, which was hit by an Israeli strike on Monday, in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on 2 April 2024 © PHOTO AFP}