WHO chief 'outraged' after Israeli strike kills humanitarian workers in Gaza

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The World Health Organization's (WHO) director-general on Tuesday called for the "sustained protection" of humanitarian workers in Gaza after an incident that killed seven members of US-based charity World Central Kitchen.

"How many more lives will be lost until there's a cease-fire? We are outraged by the killing of humanitarian workers in Gaza," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.

Stressing that safety is a basic requirement for the delivery of life-saving aid, Tedros extended his deepest condolences to the World Central Kitchen team and affected families.

"We once again call for the sustained protection of humanitarian workers across Gaza," he said.

The charity had earlier confirmed that seven of its humanitarian aid workers were killed in Monday's Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip.

"The WCK team was traveling in a deconflicted zone in two armored cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle," it said in a statement.

Despite coordinating movements with the Israeli army, it added, the convoy was hit as it was leaving the group's warehouse in the southern city of Deir al-Balah, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on a 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," said CEO Erin Gore.

The seven charity workers killed were nationals of Australia, Poland, the UK, and Palestine, as well as a US-Canada dual citizen.