World Central Kitchen Resumes Operations in Gaza with Local Team After Deadly Israeli Drone Strikes
The World Central Kitchen announced on Sunday that it would be resuming its operations in Gaza with a local team of Palestinian aid workers, nearly a month after the organization suffered a devastating blow when seven of its workers were killed in targeted drone strikes by the Israeli military.
Israeli military officials have since admitted that the attack was a “grave mistake” and acknowledged a series of failures that led to the tragic incident. Despite this, the aid group is still calling for an independent, international investigation into the April 1 attack and has not received any concrete assurances that the Israeli military’s operational procedures have changed.
However, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, according to the aid group’s chief operating officer, Erin Gore. “We are restarting our operation with the same energy, dignity, and focus on feeding as many people as possible,” she stated.
World Central Kitchen has distributed over 43 million meals in Gaza so far and has trucks carrying the equivalent of nearly eight million meals waiting to enter the enclave through the Rafah crossing in the south. The organization also plans to send trucks to Gaza through Jordan and open a kitchen in Al-Mawasi, a small seaside village designated as a “humanitarian zone” by the Israeli military.
The seven aid workers killed in the April 1 attack included individuals from Western nations and one Palestinian. The incident prompted World Central Kitchen to immediately suspend its operations in Gaza and sparked outrage from Israel’s closest allies.
Despite the risks and challenges, the aid group has decided to continue its mission of providing food to those in need. At a memorial in Washington for the fallen workers, World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés emphasized the bravery and selflessness of the aid workers, stating that they “risked everything to feed people they did not know and will never meet.”
As the organization moves forward with its operations in Gaza, the demand for accountability and justice for the fallen workers remains a top priority.
