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Who were the World Central Kitchen workers killed in Israel鈥檚 strike in Gaza?

Who were the World Central Kitchen workers killed in Israel鈥檚 strike in Gaza?
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Who were the World Central Kitchen workers killed in Israel鈥檚 strike in Gaza?
The nonprofit World Central Kitchen (WCK) has named its seven aid workers who were killed in an Israeli military strike in Gaza on Monday, praising their 鈥渂eautiful souls,鈥� as international condemnation over the incident grows.A dual U.S.-Canada national, a Palestinian, three Brits, an Australian, and a Pole were killed when an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strike hit a returning WCK convoy.鈥淭hese are the heroes of WCK,鈥� the organization鈥檚 CEO Erin Gore said in a statement revealing their identities. 鈥淭hese 7 beautiful souls were killed by the IDF in a strike as they were returning from a full day鈥檚 mission. Their smiles, laughter, and voices are forever embedded in our memories.鈥漈he IDF said the incident is being investigated, that the strike was a 鈥済rave mistake鈥� and that it did not intend to harm the aid workers.John Chapman, James Henderson and James Kirby The three Brits killed were John Chapman, 57, James 鈥淛im鈥� Henderson, 33, and 47-year-old James Kirby. All three worked in WCK鈥檚 security team, the organization said.Kirby was a military veteran who had previously served in the British armed forces in Afghanistan and Bosnia, his family said.Adam McGuire, a cousin of Kirby, told Sky News on Wednesday he was 鈥渄isappointed in Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 response yesterday, in not saying sorry to the individuals,鈥� and that he hoped the deaths of the seven workers would be a 鈥渢urning point鈥� that caused aid to flow more freely into Gaza.The family of Chapman said in a statement that he will 鈥渇orever be a hero,鈥� and said their relative 鈥渄ied trying to help people,鈥� PA Media reported Wednesday, which added he is believed to be a former marine.Saifeddin Issam Ayad AbutahaThe other four people killed worked in the relief team. They included Palestinian Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, who at 25 was the youngest of the casualties, and had been volunteering as a driver with WCK.Ahmad Al-Madhoun, a colleague, wrote on Facebook: 鈥淚 met him during my last visit to the @WCKitchen office. A friend told me that Seif would help solve any problem if you asked him. Seif was full of hope.鈥滺e attended university in Ajman, in the United Arab Emirates, and had been living in Dubai, according to his Facebook page.Jacob FlickingerJacob Flickinger, 33, was a U.S.-Canadian dual citizen.Samantha Power, the U.S.鈥� top humanitarian aid official, said the deaths of Flickinger and his colleagues were 鈥渄eeply alarming,鈥� and President Joe Biden wrote that he was 鈥渙utraged and heartbroken鈥� by the incident.Biden鈥檚 statement included some of the most blunt and direct language he has used towards Israel since the start of the war; the strike raised the frustration for Biden and his top officials to a new level, a senior administration official told CNN.Damian SobolPolish authorities confirmed that one of its nationals, Damian Sobol, from the town of Przemysl in southeast Poland, was among those killed.鈥淵esterday, our colleague, resident of Przemy艣l, volunteer, member of the World Central Kitchen team, Damian Sob贸l, was killed in a rocket attack by Israeli forces on a humanitarian convoy delivering food in the Gaza Strip,鈥� mayor Wojciech Bakun said in a post on social media on Tuesday.鈥淭here are no words to describe what people who knew this fantastic boy feel at this moment鈥� May he rest in peace,鈥� the mayor added.Poland鈥檚 Prime Minister Donald Tusk condemned the attack, and said in a post on X that Netanyahu was testing Poland鈥檚 solidarity with Israel.Lalzawmi 鈥淶omi鈥� FrankcomAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Lalzawmi 鈥淶omi鈥� Frankcom, citing her previous humanitarian efforts.鈥淭his is someone who volunteered in Australia to help people during the bushfires. This is someone who was volunteering overseas to provide aid through this charity for people who are suffering tremendous deprivation in Gaza,鈥� Albanese said.Frankcom had worked with WCK since 2019, most recently as a senior manager of its operations in Asia, according to her LinkedIn page.鈥淪he was a kind, selfless and outstanding human being that has traveled the world helping others in their time of need. She will leave behind a legacy of compassion, bravery and love for all those in her orbit,鈥� the Frankcom family said in a statement to CNN affiliate Channel 9.What is the World Central Kitchen?The WCK has provided food aid in warzones and regions recovering from natural disasters since its founding by chef Jos茅 Andr茅s in 2010.Andr茅s created the organization after traveling to Haiti that year to cook for civilians following a devastating earthquake, which it is estimated left as many as 300,000 people dead.Video below: White House 'outraged' by Israeli strike that kills seven World Central Kitchen aid workersSince then, the WCK has quickly become one of the world鈥檚 foremost food aid providers.It distributed millions of meals to displaced Ukrainians after Russia鈥檚 invasion of the country in 2022, and has been active in Gaza since Israel鈥檚 war with Hamas started in October.In a Reuters interview, Andres accused Israel of 鈥渟ystematically鈥� targeting the seven WCK aid workers. This was not a 鈥渂ad luck situation where, 鈥榦ops,鈥� we dropped the bomb in the wrong place,鈥� Andres told Reuters. 鈥淓ven if we were not in coordination with the (Israel Defense Forces), no democratic country and no military can be targeting civilians and humanitarians.鈥漈he organization has since called on the governments of Australia, Canada, the U.S., Poland, and the United Kingdom to back their demands for 鈥渁n independent, third-party investigation鈥� into the multiple strikes that killed their aid workers.WCK said they have asked the Israeli government 鈥渢o immediately preserve all documents, communications, video and/or audio recordings, and any other materials potentially relevant鈥� to the strikes in order to 鈥渆nsure the integrity of the investigation.鈥漌CK workers provided 11.5 million meals in the first 10 weeks of the war, the nonprofit said, before overcoming 鈥渋mmense challenges鈥� to open a kitchen in the enclave.Its workers coordinated with teams in Cairo, Egypt to ship wood and charcoal pellets and developed wood-burning stoves in order to set up a kitchen capable of cooking meals at capacity, WCK said in December.The shipment came as Gaza鈥檚 humanitarian crisis grew increasingly dire. Gazans desperate for food have crowded rare distribution points in recent weeks, and a U.N.-backed report found last month that all 2.2 million people in Gaza do not have enough food to eat, with half of the population on the brink of starvation.Last month, the NGO launched a first aid ship from Cyprus to Gaza, and told CNN they would use the shipment to distribute 200 tons of food, which equates to roughly 500,000 meals.In the wake of Monday鈥檚 strike, WCK announced it was pausing its operations in Gaza.

The nonprofit World Central Kitchen (WCK) has named its seven aid workers who were killed in an Israeli military strike in Gaza on Monday, praising their 鈥渂eautiful souls,鈥� as international condemnation over the incident grows.

A dual U.S.-Canada national, a Palestinian, three Brits, an Australian, and a Pole were killed when an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strike hit a returning WCK convoy.

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鈥淭hese are the heroes of WCK,鈥� the organization鈥檚 CEO Erin Gore said in a statement revealing their identities. 鈥淭hese 7 beautiful souls were killed by the IDF in a strike as they were returning from a full day鈥檚 mission. Their smiles, laughter, and voices are forever embedded in our memories.鈥�

The IDF said the incident is being investigated, that the strike was a 鈥済rave mistake鈥� and that it did not intend to harm the aid workers.

John Chapman, James Henderson and James Kirby

The three Brits killed were John Chapman, 57, James 鈥淛im鈥� Henderson, 33, and 47-year-old James Kirby. All three worked in WCK鈥檚 security team, the organization said.

Kirby was a military veteran who had previously served in the British armed forces in Afghanistan and Bosnia, his family said.

world central kitchen (wck) aid workers killed in israeli strike in gaza
From World Central Kitchen via CNN Newsource
WCK named the workers killed as (from top left) Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, Laizawmi "Zomi" Frankcom, Damian Sob贸l, Jacob Flinkinger, John Chapman, James "Jim" Henderson and James Kirby.

Adam McGuire, a cousin of Kirby, told Sky News on Wednesday he was 鈥渄isappointed in [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 response yesterday, in not saying sorry to the individuals,鈥� and that he hoped the deaths of the seven workers would be a 鈥渢urning point鈥� that caused aid to flow more freely into Gaza.

The family of Chapman said in a statement that he will 鈥渇orever be a hero,鈥� and said their relative 鈥渄ied trying to help people,鈥� PA Media reported Wednesday, which added he is believed to be a former marine.

Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha

Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha was the youngest person killed.
From World Central Kitchen via CNN Newsource
Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha

The other four people killed worked in the relief team. They included Palestinian Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, who at 25 was the youngest of the casualties, and had been volunteering as a driver with WCK.

Ahmad Al-Madhoun, a colleague, wrote on Facebook: 鈥淚 met him during my last visit to the @WCKitchen office. A friend told me that Seif would help solve any problem if you asked him. Seif was full of hope.鈥�

He attended university in Ajman, in the United Arab Emirates, and had been living in Dubai, according to his Facebook page.

Jacob Flickinger

Flickinger was a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.
From World Central Kitchen via CNN Newsource
Jacob Flickinger

Jacob Flickinger, 33, was a U.S.-Canadian dual citizen.

Samantha Power, the U.S.鈥� top humanitarian aid official, said the deaths of Flickinger and his colleagues were 鈥渄eeply alarming,鈥� and President Joe Biden wrote that he was 鈥渙utraged and heartbroken鈥� by the incident.

Biden鈥檚 statement included some of the most blunt and direct language he has used towards Israel since the start of the war; the strike raised the frustration for Biden and his top officials to a new level, a senior administration official

Damian Sobol

Sobol was praised by the mayor of his hometown.
From World Central Kitchen via CNN Newsource
Damian Sobol

Polish authorities confirmed that one of its nationals, Damian Sobol, from the town of Przemysl in southeast Poland, was among those killed.

鈥淵esterday, our colleague, resident of Przemy艣l, volunteer, member of the World Central Kitchen team, Damian Sob贸l, was killed in a rocket attack by Israeli forces on a humanitarian convoy delivering food in the Gaza Strip,鈥� mayor Wojciech Bakun said in a post on social media on Tuesday.

鈥淭here are no words to describe what people who knew this fantastic boy feel at this moment鈥� May he rest in peace,鈥� the mayor added.

Poland鈥檚 Prime Minister Donald Tusk condemned the attack, and said in a post on X that Netanyahu was with Israel.

Lalzawmi 鈥淶omi鈥� Frankcom

world central kitchen (wck) aid workers killed in israeli strike in gaza
From World Central Kitchen via CNN Newsource
Laizawmi Zomi Frankcom

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Lalzawmi 鈥淶omi鈥� Frankcom, citing her previous humanitarian efforts.

鈥淭his is someone who volunteered in Australia to help people during the bushfires. This is someone who was volunteering overseas to provide aid through this charity for people who are suffering tremendous deprivation in Gaza,鈥� Albanese said.

Frankcom had worked with WCK since 2019, most recently as a senior manager of its operations in Asia, according to her LinkedIn page.

鈥淪he was a kind, selfless and outstanding human being that has traveled the world helping others in their time of need. She will leave behind a legacy of compassion, bravery and love for all those in her orbit,鈥� the Frankcom family said in a statement to CNN affiliate Channel 9.

What is the World Central Kitchen?

The WCK has provided food aid in warzones and regions recovering from natural disasters since its founding by chef Jos茅 Andr茅s in 2010.

Andr茅s created the organization after traveling to Haiti that year to cook for civilians following a devastating earthquake, which it is estimated left as many as 300,000 people dead.

Video below: White House 'outraged' by Israeli strike that kills seven World Central Kitchen aid workers

Since then, the WCK has quickly become one of the world鈥檚 foremost food aid providers.

It distributed millions of meals to displaced Ukrainians after Russia鈥檚 invasion of the country in 2022, and has been active in Gaza since Israel鈥檚 war with Hamas started in October.

In a Reuters interview, Andres accused Israel of 鈥渟ystematically鈥� targeting the seven WCK aid workers. This was not a 鈥渂ad luck situation where, 鈥榦ops,鈥� we dropped the bomb in the wrong place,鈥� Andres told Reuters. 鈥淓ven if we were not in coordination with the (Israel Defense Forces), no democratic country and no military can be targeting civilians and humanitarians.鈥�

The organization has since called on the governments of Australia, Canada, the U.S., Poland, and the United Kingdom to back their demands for 鈥渁n independent, third-party investigation鈥� into the multiple strikes that killed their aid workers.

WCK said they have asked the Israeli government 鈥渢o immediately preserve all documents, communications, video and/or audio recordings, and any other materials potentially relevant鈥� to the strikes in order to 鈥渆nsure the integrity of the investigation.鈥�

WCK workers provided 11.5 million meals in the first 10 weeks of the war, the nonprofit said, before overcoming 鈥渋mmense challenges鈥� to open a kitchen in the enclave.

Its workers coordinated with teams in Cairo, Egypt to ship wood and charcoal pellets and developed wood-burning stoves in order to set up a kitchen capable of cooking meals at capacity, in December.

The shipment came as Gaza鈥檚 humanitarian crisis grew increasingly dire. Gazans desperate for food have crowded rare distribution points in recent weeks, and a U.N.-backed report found last month that all 2.2 million people in Gaza do not have enough food to eat, with half of the population on the brink of starvation.

Last month, the NGO launched a first aid ship from Cyprus to Gaza, and told CNN they would use the shipment to distribute 200 tons of food, which equates to roughly 500,000 meals.

In the wake of Monday鈥檚 strike, WCK announced it was pausing its operations in Gaza.