Three community kitchen workers among five killed by Israel in Gaza

An Israeli air strike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on November 30, 2024, killed three employees of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) and at least two other individuals.

The attack targeted a vehicle, leading the US-based charity to pause its operations in Gaza. The incident occurred amid a broader conflict in which at least 871 Palestinians have been killed since a ceasefire began in 2025.

World Central Kitchen Response

Following the strike, the World Central Kitchen released a statement regarding the loss of its staff.

“We are heartbroken to share that a vehicle carrying World Central Kitchen colleagues was hit by an Israeli air strike in Gaza,”

World Central Kitchen

The organization stated that it was working with incomplete information at the time of the announcement and was seeking further details. WCK further clarified that it had no knowledge that any individual in the vehicle had alleged ties to the October 7 Hamas attack.

Israeli Military Claims

The Israeli military stated that the air strike was directed at a specific individual. Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed the target was a terrorist who had been employed by the World Central Kitchen and had participated in the October 7 attacks on Israel.

“The terrorist had been under intelligence surveillance for a long time and was targeted based on reliable intelligence information about his location in real time,”

Avichay Adraee

Palestinian Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal confirmed to the AFP news agency that at least five bodies were transported to the hospital following the attack, including the three employees of the World Central Kitchen.