One of the three British nationals who died while delivering aid in Gaza has been named. A total of seven people from the World Central Kitchen were killed when an Israeli airstrike tore through the roof of a car, where the aid workers had been sitting.
The strike, which took place last night (April 1) dealt a devastating blow to humanitarian efforts in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Among the casualties are three British nationals including James Henderson, a former member of the Royal Marines, along with citizens of Australia, Poland, and a US-Canada dual citizen.
Two other British aid workers have also been confirmed dead but have not yet been named. World Central Kitchen (WCK), the renowned food charity founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, announced the immediate suspension of operations in the area following the incident.
In response to the tragedy, Foreign Secretary David Cameron communicated with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, stressing the imperative for “major changes” to ensure the safety of aid workers on the ground.
Cameron stated via social media platform X: “I spoke with Israeli FM Israel-Katz to underline that the deaths of WCKitchen aid workers in Gaza, including three British Nationals, are completely unacceptable.”
WFK’s suspension includes the recently established sea route for food aid, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Israel has described the airstrike as “unintentional” and has initiated an investigation into the matter.
However, the incident has sparked international outrage and raised questions about the safety of aid workers in Gaza. Lord Cameron has today urged for a “transparent” answer as to how such a mistake was allowed to happen.
The United States, a staunch ally of Israel, had supported the sea route initiative with hopes of alleviating the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
However, with the recent turn of events, efforts to address the critical food shortage in the region have faced setbacks, leaving much of the population in northern Gaza on the brink of starvation.
The airstrike late Monday came hours after Israeli forces withdrew from the burnt-out ruins of Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, allowing Palestinians and journalists to survey the devastation after a two-week raid that destroyed what was once the largest medical centre in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military says the raid targeted Hamas militants grouped inside, a claim that could not be independently confirmed.
Israel’s war in Gaza has killed nearly 33,000 Palestinians, the territory’s Health Ministry says.
The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its tally, but says women and children make up two-thirds of the dead. The war began on Oct. 7, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage.
