The charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) has said it is pausing its operations in Gaza after a vehicle carrying its staff members was hit by an Israeli air strike.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the target of the strike had taken part in the 7 October attacks on Israel, and was currently employed by the WCK.
WCK said it was “heartbroken to share” that a vehicle carrying staff had been hit and it was seeking more details, though added it had “no knowledge” that anyone in the car had ties to the 7 October attacks.
Palestinian state-run news agency Wafa reported that five people were killed in the strike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Saturday, with three of them WCK employees.
They included the director of WCK’s kitchens in Gaza, the agency added.
Separately, British aid agency Save the Children said one of its staff members was also killed on Saturday afternoon in Khan Younis.
Ahmad Faisal Isleem Al-Qadi, 39, had been returning home to his wife and three-year-old daughter from a mosque when he was killed, the charity added.
“Ahmad, who was deaf, will be remembered for his determination to help others, for his pride in his daughter, and for his ability to brighten others’ days”, Save the Children said in a statement.
It is unclear whether he was killed in the same strike as the WCK employees. Save the Children say there were two strikes in Khan Younis on Saturday, but the BBC has not been able to verify this.
Following reports of the WCK strike, pictures circulating on social media showed a white saloon car by the side of a road, partially burned-out and with its roof caved in.
Video filmed inside a mortuary also showed a number of charred possessions – including a laptop, clothing, and and ID badge – bearing the WCK logo.
In a statement, the IDF said it had “struck a vehicle [carrying] a terrorist that took part in the murderous 7 October massacre”.
It said the man had taken part in an attack on the kibbutz of Nir Oz, though added that it was “not possible to link the terrorist to a specific abduction attempt”.
“The terrorist was monitored for a while by IDF intelligence and was struck following credible information regarding his real time location,” it said.
It said the strike was on a “civilian unmarked vehicle” whose movement had “not been coordinated for transporting aid”.
It went on to demand “clarifications and an urgent investigation” from WCK and the international community “regarding the hiring of workers who took part in… terrorist activity against Israel”.
The statement from WCK said it was “heartbroken to share that a vehicle carrying World Central Kitchen colleagues was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza”.
“At this time, we are working with incomplete information and are urgently seeking more details,” it said.
“World Central Kitchen had no knowledge that any individual in the vehicle had alleged ties to the October 7th Hamas attack”.
It added that it would be pausing its work in Gaza.
“Our hearts are with our colleagues and their families in this unimaginable moment,” it said.
In April, seven WCK workers, including three British security staff, were killed in an Israeli strike on an aid convoy, prompting widespread condemnation and a temporary halt to the charity’s operations.
The IDF later admitted “grave mistakes” had been made and sacked two senior officers.