World Central Kitchen (WCK), the NGO of chef José Andrés, announced on Saturday that it is suspending its operations in Gaza. The announcement comes hours after the death of three Palestinian workers of the organization, along with two others, after their vehicle was attacked by an Israeli drone in the city of Jan Younis, south of Gaza; eight months after the Israeli attack that killed seven of its employees in April, as reported by Efe.
According to a witness, while securing the convoy with humanitarian aid, some bandits attempted to seize merchandise, when an Israeli drone fired at the back of one of the trucks. Then, several people approached to help and the drones launched another missile at the SUV where the workers were traveling, who were carrying the logo of the NGO of Spanish chef José Andrés.
Among the deceased employees are the head of community kitchens in eastern Jan Yunis of WCK, the driver, and the assessment and monitoring officer, as detailed by local sources.
The Israeli Army confirmed, hours later, that one of the deceased, Hazmi Kadih, was a militant who had participated in the massacre on October 7 at Kibutz Nir Oz, according to a military statement, and that they had received "credible intelligence information about his real-time location".
"The terrorist worked for the WCK organization," acknowledges the military statement, which calls on the international community and the NGO administration to investigate his hiring. In a previous statement, the Army denounced that the civilian vehicle did not use distinctive markings and that its movement "was not coordinated for the transport of aid".
"This crime reveals dangerous aspects and horrible violations related to the goals of extermination warfare and is linked to depriving the population of the besieged sector of obtaining food, water, and medicine," today denounced in a joint statement the Islamic factions in Gaza.
"These repeated crimes of targeting humanitarian organizations, relief associations, food preparation and distribution centers, and aid convoys are direct messages of threat and terror to all active organizations in humanitarian work," the text adds.
On April 2, seven other WCK workers died in a triple Israeli attack on their humanitarian convoy as they left a warehouse in Deir al Balah, central Gaza, despite coordinating their movements with the Israeli Army.
Three days later, the Army said it was a "mistake" to believe that two armed Hamas militants were traveling in the vehicle. The Palestinian Saifeddin Ayad Abutaha, the Australian Lalzawmi Frankcom, the Pole Damian Soból, the Canadian-American Jacob Flickinger, and the Britons John Chapman, James Henderson, and James Kirby died.
Although it was perfectly identified, the convoy was hit by three missiles fired by a drone, which was "a serious violation of the orders and standard operating procedures of the Israel Defense Forces," concluded the military investigation, which dismissed those responsible.
The Ministry of Health for Gaza of the Hamas government announced on Friday a new death toll of 44,382 in the Palestinian territory since the start of the war with Israel over a year ago. At least 19 people have died in the last 24 hours, stated in a press release, adding that 105,142 people have been injured in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war.