Israeli strike kills 7 aid workers delivering food to Gaza strip

The car used by workers of the US-based aid group World Central Kitchen. Pics/AP

An apparent Israeli airstrike killed seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen, leading the charity to suspend delivery Tuesday of vital food aid to Gaza, where Israel's offensive has pushed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the brink of starvation. The source of fire late Monday could not be independently confirmed. The Israeli military expressed "sincere sorrow" over the deaths while stopping short of accepting responsibility.

Palestinians children look at the destruction in Rafah

Footage showed the bodies, several wearing protective gear with the charity's logo, at a hospital in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah. Those killed include three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national, an American-Canadian dual citizen and a Palestinian, according to hospital records.

Smoke billowing behind buildings destroyed due to Israeli strikes

The charity, founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, was key to a recently opened sea route for delivering desperately needed aid to northern Gaza - where the UN says much of the population is on the brink of starvation, largely cut off from the rest of the territory by Israeli forces. Andres - whose charity operates in several countries wracked by wars or natural disasters, including Israel after the October 7 attack that triggered the current conflict - said he was "heartbroken" by the deaths of his colleagues.

Humanitarian aid being airdropped

"The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The charity said the team was traveling in a three-car convoy including two armored vehicles and its movements had been coordinated with the Israeli army.

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