Sat Nov 30 21:56:15 UTC 2024: **World Central Kitchen Suspends Gaza Operations After Israeli Strike Kills Workers**
**Khan Younis, Gaza Strip –** The World Central Kitchen (WCK), a US-based charity, has temporarily suspended its operations in Gaza following an Israeli airstrike that killed several of its employees. The incident, which occurred on November 30th, 2024, in Khan Younis, has sparked outrage and raised questions about the targeting of humanitarian workers.
According to the Gaza civil defense agency, five people were killed in the strike, three of whom were identified as WCK employees. The Israeli military confirmed the death of one WCK employee, alleging their involvement in the October 7th, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. WCK denies any knowledge of its workers’ alleged involvement and is seeking further details.
This is not the first time WCK has suffered losses in the ongoing conflict. In April, an Israeli strike killed seven of its staff members. The Israeli military admitted to “grave mistakes” in that incident. The UN reported last week that 333 aid workers have been killed since the start of the conflict in October 2023, a significant portion of which were UNRWA employees.
The October 7th Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,207 Israelis, mostly civilians, while Israel’s subsequent military offensive has claimed the lives of 44,382 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza health ministry. The Israeli military stated that the vehicle targeted was unmarked and its movement was not coordinated for aid transport. They have demanded clarification from WCK and international organizations regarding the employment of workers allegedly involved in the October 7th attacks. The ongoing conflict continues to claim both civilian and humanitarian worker lives amidst escalating tensions.
First Piper 