WCK is a not-for-profit non-governmental organization devoted to providing meals for people in war and disaster zones.

Head of the Government Media Office Ismail al-Thawabta told a news conference in Gaza that “Israel bombed a foreign team composed of British, Polish, Australian citizens and other nationalities that are not yet known, in addition to a Palestinian from Gaza.”

“The occupation forces killed them in cold blood with warplanes that keep overlying the Gaza Strip and committing genocidal crimes,” he said.

A Palestinian man was among those killed, who was described at the news conference as the nonprofit’s driver at the time of the strike.

WCK, for its part, said it “is devastated to confirm seven members of our team have been killed in an IDF strike in Gaza.”

“The WCK team was traveling in a deconflicted zone in two armored cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle,” according to a statement released on Tuesday by the Washington-based organization.

“Despite coordinating movements with the IDF, the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route.”

“This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” WCK head Erin Gore said.

“The seven killed are from Australia, Poland, United Kingdom, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, and Palestine.”

“I am heartbroken and appalled that we — World Central Kitchen and the world — lost beautiful lives today because of a targeted attack by the IDF. The love they had for feeding people, the determination they embodied to show that humanity rises above all, and the impact they made in countless lives will forever be remembered and cherished,” Erin added.

WCK said it “is pausing our operations immediately in the region. We will be making decisions about the future of our work soon.”

“I am heartbroken and grieving for their families and friends and our whole WCK family. These are people, angels, I served alongside in Ukraine, Gaza, Turkey, Morocco, Bahamas, Indonesia. They are not faceless…they are not nameless,” Jose Andres, the chef who founded the nonprofit, said on X.

“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,” Andres added. (ILKHA)