Ships with an estimated 240 tons of aid have been turned back from Gaza after an Israeli airstrike that killed seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen, according to the Associated Press.
The charity announced that it would be suspending its delivery of food aid on April 2, all while experts warn that famine is imminent in northern Gaza. World Central Kitchen previously said that it communicated with the Israeli military on their cars’ movements after unloading 100 tons of food brought into Gaza by sea. Shortly after that, an airstrike from the Israeli Defense Forces destroyed several vehicles in the convoy, killing workers from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Palestine, as well as a dual citizen from the U.S. and Canada.
The incident comes as the U.S. has tried to partner with other countries to establish a sea corridor from Cyprus to send humanitarian aid to Gaza. World Central Kitchen was at the center of those efforts.
In the wake of the deadly airstrike, the U.S., Britain, Poland, and Australia are calling for an investigation into the deaths of the aid workers. The IDF also said that it is “carrying out an in-depth examination at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.”
