During the evening of April 1, 2024, seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers were killed by an Israeli strike on their vehicle after loading food aid in a warehouse in Deir al-Balah. The Israeli Defense Forces admitted responsibility for the attack and later apologized, calling it a mistake.

Initial reports from Safa News stated that five foreigners “working with the United Nations” were killed when their vehicle was hit in Deir al-Balah.

World Central Kitchen released a statement that “seven members of our team have been killed in an IDF strike in Gaza. The WCK team was traveling in a deconflicted zone in two armored cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle.” According to WCK, their movements had been coordinated with the Israeli military as they had just “unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid” into Gaza. The statement specified that the seven killed were from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, and Palestine.

Another statement from WCK’s CEO Erin Gore, quoted by CNN, included the identities of the seven “beautiful souls” killed, with Gore emphasizing that “their smiles, laughter, and voices are forever embedded in our memories.” The three Brits killed were 57-year-old John Chapman, 33-year-old James “Jim” Henderson, and 47-year-old James Kirby, all of whom worked on the security team.

Family members told CNN that Kirby was a military veteran who had served in Afghanistan and Bosnia. A Facebook post from Yehia Harb quoting a post by Dina Hasan stated that Kirby had served in the British Army, including the British Special Forces, as a skilled sniper and expert in missiles. In WCK’s tribute to Kirby, he was described as “Kirbs” from Bristol and as someone “always willing to lend a helping hand, even in the face of senseless violence.” On the one year anniversary of Kirbs’ killing in 2025, his family and loved ones took part in a sunrise hike of Pen Y Fan, the highest peak in South Wales, which was one of his favorite hikes. Kirby’s friend Andy Watts told BBC about the hike that “there were 20 of us up there. He loved it, the waterfalls and everything, so we did it to honour him a year on, and we’re going to try to do it every year, that’s the plan. Everyone he met, he made them smile. You couldn’t wish for a better friend.” Kirby’s local gym in Bristol, Trojan Gym, also created a workout to honor him with music he enjoyed working out to, describing it as “we can still pay respects to him in our way. He’d be smiling at us playing Sex Pistols this morning at 6am.” The BBC article included images of Kirby posing infront of a beautiful waterfall, and two groups of people paying tribute to his memory – his friends hiking his favorite peak and his gym mates honoring him with his favorite music.

Louise Kirby, Kirby’s cousin, told the BBC that their family had been “met with silence” from the British government “despite repeated calls for answers.” One year after his death, Kirby’s family continued to call for a “formal, in-depth investigation”, with evidence presented in court to ensure “full transparency and accountability.”

CNN quoted PA Media in reporting that Chapman was believed to be a former marine and that his family described that he will “forever be a hero,” and said their relative “died trying to help people.” According to Yehia Harb’s post, Chapman had served in the British Army and was a member of the elite forces. BBC News spoke to Chapman’s wife Tarnia, who described him as “a fine example of a husband, of a father and of a really good human being” and their 24-year-old daughter Fern who said “I will remember him as the best dad I could have ever asked for. There’s no one that compares to him and the love that he gave to all of us so, so strongly.” The BBC article included pictures of Chapman, his wife, and two of their three adult children. WCK also published a tribute to Chapman, describing him as a “beloved husband, son, brother, and father of three from Poole, England” and “brave, selfless, and never missed the opportunity to tell his wife and children how much he loved them—especially during his time in Gaza.”

Henderson had served for 6 years in the British Royal Navy and became a member of the Royal Navy’s Special Forces, as reported by Yehia Harb. A Facebook post from Joe Greenaway Art memorialized Henderson on the one year anniversary of his killing in 2025, announcing that “as a fitting tribute to his love of boxing and rugby, and his life-long commitment to helping others, Falmouth and Penryn Boxing Club has been renamed the Henderson Boxing Academy. He represented the Marines as a heavy weight in the boxing ring, reaching several final bouts. Jim left school set on a military career. He served as a Marine from 2010 to 2016 and was deployed to some of the world’s most troubled spots, including Afghanistan. He was highly-disciplined, known for calmness under pressure and the ability to lead and solve problems in challenging situations. In his post-military career he pursued his interest in marine security, travelling the world as a professional security adviser and operative.” The post included a beautiful wall mural of Henderson boxing, playing rugby, and smiling in a white polo, the things he loved to do.

The BBC also interviewed Henderson’s family on the anniversary of their loss. His fiancee Jacqui Henderson told the BBC that “we want to keep his memory alive for as long as we possibly can” in reference to the gym and his father Neil said “his love was boxing… I think it was the fitness and the competition. He went into everything and gave his whole and did that with everything he ever did in life.”‘ According to Declassified UK, Henderson’s father Neil has since requested to see the footage captured by a Royal Air Force plane that had been loitering over Gaza when the aid convoy was hit by the drone strike but has not seen anything at the time of publish, December 2025. World Central Kitchen also published a tribute to Henderson, which described him as someone who ” always gravitated around helping people—he was involved in numerous projects around the world including teaching first aid to civilians in Ukraine and training people in trauma response.” Images published by Perspective Media show the around 700 people who gathered at Truro Cathedral near where he grew up in Cornwall.

The Facebook post from Yehia Harb, and quoted by others, further accused the three British men of being spies, pointing to their employment at a “well-known British security company, Solas Global.” The post further asserted that the three men were British intelligence agents and had “infiltrated” the humanitarian aid organization. As the sources concur that the men were working security in a humanitarian aid capacity when they were killed, they have been classified as civilians.

25-year-old Saif Issam Ayad Abu Taha, who had been volunteering as a driver with WCK, was also killed. CNN pointed out that according to his Facebook page, Abu Taha had attended college in Ajman, in the UAE, and had been living in Dubai. A colleague named Ahmad al-Madhoun, posted on Facebook that “I met him during my last visit to the @WCKitchen office. A friend told me that Saif would help solve any problem if you asked him. Saif was full of hope.” According to @Hakeam_ps, Saif was originally from the Southern Gaza Strip. A video published by @ShehabAgency included the solemn burial of victim Saif Abu Taha surrounded by mourners.

A Facebook post from Alaa Fadhil Al-Shabib included an image of the “radiant face” of Abu Taha, adding that he had returned to Gaza from the UAE three years before when his family opened a grain mill. When the war broke out in Gaza, Abu Taha had begun working with WCK and “because of his fluency in English, Saif quickly integrated with the international team working at the organization and volunteered with them.” In describing his role, Abu Taha’s brother said that “he became their constant companion, driving their cars because he knew the roads of Gaza, translating for them, and helping them with everything.”

Family members including cousin Hamada M [Abu] Taha and Hatem Abu Wafi also mourned the loss of Abu Taha and included images of him posing infront of a sunset, while ridicing in a car, and with a badge around his neck with colleagues.

33-year-old Jacob Flickinger, a dual US-Canadian citizen, was also killed in the attack. According to CNN, top US officials including Samantha Powers, administrator for USAID, and President Joe Biden expressed alarm and outrage at the attack. In WCK’s tribute to Flickinger, it mentioned that he had first joined SCK in Mexico following Hurricane Otis and he “had an interest in getting more involved in the organization, and was never short on ideas and recommendations he regularly shared with the colleagues he cherished.” The tribute further described him as “cautious and disciplined and accustomed to finding solutions in chaotic environments thanks to his service in the Canadian Army” and added that “while in Mexico, he became known as “Tío Jacob” to the children in Acapulco. He brought them endless smiles.”

BBC News spoke with John Flickinger and Sylvia Labrecque, Jacob’s parents, who said that there was a “hole in their hearts” in leaving behind many loved ones, including his wife Sandy and their 18-month old son Jasper. Flickinger’s mother further described her son as “extremely devoted to his work and his family” after serving 11 years in the armed forces while Flickinger’s father pointed out that his grandson Jasper would now grow up without a father. NPR’s Leila Fadel also spoke with his father John who said that “Jacob has always lived a life of service. He served in the Canadian military for over a decade. He volunteered to serve in Afghanistan because he was horrified by what was happening to women, among other reasons. And, you know, when we discussed his decision or when he was considering it, he just said, dad, you know, people are starving, you know, and I can help.” According to his father, Flickinger was planning to go to Cairo just a few days after he was killed and then likely come how, finally seeing his son who he dearly missed. CBC News included images of the funeral procession for Jacob that was carried out in central Quebec, with participation from “Flickinger’s friends and family, people from Quebec City’s Islamic community and from the World Central Kitchen, among others.”

Another of those killed was 35-year-old Damian Sobol, a Polish citizen from the town of Przemysl. CNN quoted Wojciech Bakun, mayor of his hometown, who said “our colleague, resident of Przemyśl, volunteer, member of the World Central Kitchen team, Damian Soból, was killed in a rocket attack by Israeli forces on a humanitarian convoy delivering food in the Gaza Strip. There are no words to describe what people who knew this fantastic boy feel at this moment… May he rest in peace.” In WCK’s tribute, Sobol was described as a talented soccer layer, a business owner, a partner, son, stepson, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, nephew. Colleagues looked at him as someone who “made you feel like family” and as someone who “knew how to relieve the tension in the room after an exhausting day of providing aid around the world, with a little joke or one of his famous hugs.” Sobol got involved in providing aid to Ukrainian refugees in his hometown in Poland after the Russian invasion, which is how he got involved with WCK. Through WCK, Sobol provided aid following wildfires in Greece and earthquakes in Morocco and Türkiye, helping with construction, logistics, and connection people, and in Gaza “Damian worked tirelessly to make the impossible possible through innovation. Among countless feats, he helped install a water filtration system on the roof of one of our largest kitchens and supported the team in serving millions of Palestinians in search of safety and a warm meal.”

Sobol’s friend Krzysztof Butra told Reuters in an interview that “for me he is a hero” and that “he always said if not him, then who? Someone has to go there, someone has to help these people.” In expressing the pain he feels at his loss, Butra said “It hurts. It really hurts because Damian went there to help people and feed these people. He just went there… to give them hope that things could get better, that things would get better. And they took away this hope even from him.” The article included a screenshot from a video Sobol made for WCK about a water facility in Gaza. Notes from Poland reported that weeks later, WCK named one of their kitchens in Mawasi “Damian’s Kitchen” in honor of their lost colleague, saying “The Mawasi Kitchen is affectionately known as Damian’s Kitchen, being built to his favourite saying, ‘No Problems, Only Solutions.” CBS News spoke with a chef named Laura Pauli who had volunteered with Sobol on humanitarian missions who described feeling “Disbelief. Profound sadness. It’s anger. It’s all of those emotions. Knowing someone so personally. It just guts you” at losing a friend.

Anadolu Agency reported in October 2025 that Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewsk announced that the Israeli government was refusing to cooperate into the government investigation into the death of Soto, saying that “we are not able to determine more than we have now. There has been no cooperation from Israel, and the governments of several countries have experienced the same obstacles.” According to Anadolu Agency, the District Prosecutor’s Office in Sobol’s hometown of Przemysl had opened a criminal investigation to determine “whether war crimes or violations of international humanitarian law had occurred.”

An Australian woman named 43-year-old Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom was also among those killed. According to CNN, which viewed her LinedIn page, Frankcom had been working for WCK since 2019 and was a senior manager of its operations in Asia. Franckom’s family described her to CNN as “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.” WCK’s tribute to Frankcom detailed that she had joined as a volunteer in 2018 following a volcanic eruption in Guatemala and became “both the heart and the heartbeat of the organization, according to the colleagues she worked closely with during her almost six years on WCK’s Relief Team.” According to WCK, she ” was one of the most cheerful humanitarians—she always found time to dance, sing, and play with children. In the quiet or chaotic moments during a crisis, even laughter and smiles were possible if Zomi was present.” Frankcom was from Sydney, Australia and had helped people across the world in her lifetime, from flood survivors in Pakistan and Bangladesh to earthquake survivors in Morocco, hurricane survivors in The Bahamas, wildfire survivors in California and COVID-19 survivors in Navajo Nation, and her last mission, war survivors in Gaza.

Teresa Gray, the executive director of Mobile Medics International and a close friend of Frankcom, honored the dedication of her friend in an article in CNN, writing that Zomi “went where help was needed, making sure the vulnerable got fed, that people felt loved and cared for, and that she was a beacon of hope for the hopeless,” which is what she was doing for the people of Gaza. Gray went on to say that “Zomi was my friend, that she was loved and loved back, that she would stop what she was doing to take your call, that she would sound so happy to hear from you no matter what time of day it was. She valued her family and friends, gave 100% all the time, lit up every single room she entered with her smile, made a difference in thousands of people’s lives, and worked for WCK because it fulfilled her purpose and she loved her purpose.” The article included an image of Gray and Frankcom while performing their humanitarian duties.

SBS News reported that when Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Australia in February 2026, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pressed for Israel to carry out “full accountability including any appropriate criminal charge” for the killing of Frankcom. Mal Frankcom, brother of Zomi, told SBS News that his family is “determined to pursue justice and accountability. Not only for Zomi, but for the seven victims of the April 1 strike. I’ve spoken to a few of their families as well, and they’re in a similar position, with kind of being in the dark and not having any updates.” According to SBS News, an Australian government-commissioned report in August 2024 backed the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) assessment of the incident as a “grave mistake” that “should not have occurred” based on drone footage provided to Australia but questions have been raised about why the audio of the drone strike as not provided to the Australian investigator.

The Red Crescent also released a statement that by dawn the following day, they had recovered all seven bodies of the victims after “the bodies of two of them were missing before the association’s crews succeeded in recovering them.” The bodies of the victims were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and then to Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital in preparation for their evacuation via the Rafah crossing.

A graphic video posted by @ShehabAgency showed the bodies of at least four of the victims, one of whom appeared to be a woman and had her passport placed on top of her body and another who was killed while wearing his World Central Kitchen shirt. An image posted by @ShehabAgency and credited to Ahmad.ibraa included the bloodied passports of three of the victims – British, Australian, and Polish. Fellow aid workers and World Central Kitchen employees can be seen grieving their colleagues in another video posted by @ShehabAgency.

In a video posted by @qudsn, one of the victims, Zomi, can be seen in the WCK food distribution location in Deir al-Balah talking with one of the chefs preparing the food for distribution. The video includes graphic images of the bodies of two of the victims, including Zomi.

According to @qudsn, the attack occurred while their vehicle was on Al-Rashid Street in Deir Al-Balah. A video from @ShehabAgency showed the vehicle in the aftermath, with a large hole in the roof and the entire front of the vehicle destroyed. @tamerqdh specified that three armored vehicles had been traveling at the time and that the attack occurred “a mere five-minute drive from their departure point at the new Gaza port.”

@tamerqdh specified that an Israeli drone had launched four missiles at the armored vehicles.

The Israeli military admitted their role in the bombing, initially releasing a statement on April 1st that “the IDF is conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident’ and later holding a press conference on April 2nd in which IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said “last night, an incident took place in Gaza that resulted in the tragic death of World Central Kitchen employees as they fulfilled their vital mission of bringing food to people in need.As a professional military committed to international law, we are committed to examining our operations thoroughly and transparently. I just spoke to WCK Founder, Chef Jose Anders, and expressed the deepest condolences of the Israel Defense Forces to the families and the entire World Central Kitchen family.” A further statement from Chief of General Staff LTG Herzi Halevi that “the strike was not carried out with the intention of harming WCK aid workers. It was a mistake that followed a misidentification–at night during a war in very complex conditions. It shouldn’t have happened.”

On April 5th, the IDF announced the results of their review, finding that “the forces identified a gunman on one of the aid trucks, following which they identified an additional gunman. After the vehicles left the warehouse where the aid had been unloaded, one of the commanders mistakenly assumed that the gunmen were located inside the accompanying vehicles and that these were Hamas terrorists. The forces did not identify the vehicles in question as being associated with WCK.” The review further emphasized that the strike was a result of “a serious failure due to a mistaken identification, errors in decision-making, and an attack contrary to the Standard Operating Procedures” and included a list of those who had been reprimanded for their role.

An SBS News article reported that a further investigation into the incident had been taken up by Israel’s Military Advocate General office but delays have occurred. According to one of the victim’s brothers, Mal Frankcom, “it’s been … nearly two years now, and after the initial fact-finding report was made, it was referred to the Military Advocate General to decide whether further investigation was required, but since then, there’s been no progress on that front.”