The NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK), run by Spanish chef José Andrés, announced this Saturday that it is ceasing to operate in Gaza following the Israeli attack on one of its vehicles, in which, according to local media, three of its local employees died, one of them identified as a Hamas militiaman by the Israeli Army.
“World Central Kitchen was not aware that any of the people traveling in the vehicle had alleged links to the Hamas attack on October 7,” the organization said in a statement on X this Saturday, following the Army’s accusation. that one of the workers was a militiaman who participated in the October 7 attacks.
“Our hearts go out to our colleagues and their families at this unimaginable time,” the NGO added.
At least five Palestinians, including three WCK workers, died this Saturday after their vehicle was attacked by an Israeli drone in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis; eight months after the Israeli attack that killed seven of its employees in April.
According to what a witness told EFE, while the convoy with humanitarian aid was being secured, some bandits tried to seize merchandise, when an Israeli drone shot at the back of one of the trucks. Then, several people came to help and the drones launched another missile against the SUV where the workers were traveling, which bore the logo of the NGO of Spanish chef José Andrés.
Among the dead employees is the person in charge of the community kitchens in the east of Khan Yunis of the WCK, a driver and the person in charge of evaluation and monitoring, according to local sources who located the event on the Salah al Din road, in the Satar al Sharqi area in northeastern Khan Yunis.
The Israeli Army confirmed, hours later, that it had attacked a vehicle in which, it says, a militant was traveling after receiving “credible” intelligence information about its location in real time.
“The claim that the terrorist was at the same time a WCK worker is being investigated,” adds the military statement, which points out that the civilian vehicle did not use markings and its movement “was not coordinated for the transportation of aid.”
