World Central Kitchen suspends work in the Gaza Strip after staff with a car were hit by an Israeli attack

Charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) has said it will suspend operations in Gaza after a vehicle carrying its staff was hit by an Israeli airstrike.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the target of the attack took part in the October 7 attacks on Israel and is currently employed by the WCK.

WCK said it was “heartbroken to report” that a vehicle carrying personnel had been struck and was seeking further details, but added it had “no knowledge” that anyone in the car had links to the September 7 attacks. October.

Palestinian state news agency Wafa reported that five people, including three WCK employees, were killed in the strike in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday.

This included the director of WCK kitchens in Gaza, the agency added.

Separately, British charity Save the Children said one of its staff was also killed in Khan Younis on Saturday afternoon.

Ahmad Faisal Isleem Al-Qadi, 39, was on his way home from a mosque to his wife and three-year-old daughter when he was killed, the charity added.

“Ahmad, who was deaf, will be remembered for his determination to help others, for his pride in his daughter and for his ability to brighten the days of others,” Save the Children said in a statement.

It is unclear whether he was killed in the same strike as the WCK employees. According to Save the Children, there were two strikes in Khan Younis on Saturday, but the BBC was unable to verify this.

Following reports of the WCK strike, images circulated on social media showing a white sedan on the side of the road, partially burned out and its roof collapsed.

A video filmed at a morgue also showed a number of charred possessions – including a laptop, clothing and an ID card – with the WCK logo.

In a statement, the IDF said it struck “a vehicle carrying a terrorist involved in the murderous October 7 massacre.”

It said the man took part in an attack on the Nir Oz kibbutz, but added that it was “not possible to link the terrorist to a specific kidnapping attempt.”

“The terrorist was monitored by IDF intelligence for a period of time and was targeted based on credible information about his real-time location,” it said.

It said the strike was against a “civilian, unmarked vehicle” whose movement was “not coordinated for the transport of relief supplies.”

She further called for “clarifications and an urgent investigation” from the WCK and the international community “regarding the hiring of workers involved in…terrorist activities against Israel.”

WCK’s statement said it was “heartbroken to report that a vehicle carrying colleagues from World Central Kitchen was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.”

“We are currently working with incomplete information and are urgently seeking further details,” it said.

“World Central Kitchen had no knowledge that any person in the vehicle had alleged ties to the October 7 Hamas attack.”

It added that it would suspend its work in Gaza.

“Our hearts go out to our colleagues and their families at this unimaginable moment,” it said.

In April, seven WCK employees, including three British security guards, were deployed killed in an Israeli attack on a relief convoy, leading to general condemnation and a temporary halt to the charity’s activities.

The IDF later admitted that “serious mistakes” had been made and fired two senior officers.