A food charity suspends operations in Gaza after workers are killed in an Israeli strike

The charity organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) said it has stopped working in Gaza after the vehicle carrying its workers was hit by an Israeli strike.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the target of the strike was involved in the attack on Israel on 7 October, and is currently being monitored by the WCK.

WCK said it was “sad to say” that the car carrying the workers was hit and wanted more information, although it added that it was “not aware” that anyone in the car was connected to the October 7 attack.

The Palestinian government’s news agency Wafa reported that five people died in the strike in Khan Younis, south of Gaza, on Saturday, three of them WCK workers.

They include the director of the WCK kitchens in Gaza, the agency added.

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

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

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

It is not clear whether he was killed in the same strike as the WCK workers. Save the Children says there were two strikes in Khan Younis on Saturday, but the BBC could not confirm this.

Following reports of the WCK strike, pictures circulating on social media showed a white saloon car on the side of the road, partially burnt and with its roof collapsed.

Video recorded inside the morgue also showed a number of burnt items – including a laptop, clothes, and an ID badge – bearing the WCK logo.

In a statement, the IDF said it “hit a car [carrying] terrorist who took part in the October 7 massacre”.

It said the man was involved in the attack on the Nir Oz kibbutz, although it added that “it is impossible to connect terrorists with a specific kidnapping attempt”.

“The terrorist was briefly monitored by the IDF and was struck following reliable information about his location in real time,” it said.

It said the strike was on an “unknown vehicle” that was moving “not coordinated to transport aid”.

It continued to demand “explanations and an urgent investigation” from the WCK and the international community “regarding the recruitment of personnel involved… in terrorist activities against Israel”.

The statement issued by WCK said “it was very sad to tell you that the vehicle carrying World Central Kitchen colleagues was hit by an Israeli strike in Gaza”.

“For now, we are working with incomplete information and we are looking for more information immediately,” the statement said.

“World Central Kitchen did not know that there was someone in the car who was suspected of being related to the Hamas attack on October 7”.

It added that it would stop its operations in Gaza.

“Our hearts are with our colleagues and their families in this unimaginable time,” he said.

In April, seven WCK workers, including three British security personnel, were killed in an Israeli strike on an aid plant, causing widespread abandonment and a temporary halt to the charity’s operations.

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