World Central Kitchen aid convoy attack

World Central Kitchen aid convoy attack
Part of the Israel–Hamas war
A World Central Kitchen car after IDF strike
Aid convoy attacks
Location	Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories
Coordinates	31°25′0.05″N 34°19′44.4″E / 31.4166806°N 34.329000°E / 31.4166806; 34.329000
Date	1 April 2024
Target	Three World Central Kitchen cars
Attack type	Drone strikes
Deaths	7
Perpetrators	Israel Defense Forces

The World Central Kitchen aid convoy attack occurred on 1 April 2024, when Israeli drones targeted a three-car convoy belonging to the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in the Gaza Strip, killing seven aid workers.^[1][2] The workers had been overseeing the transfer of a shipment of food from a makeshift pier to a warehouse some distance away in the northern Gaza Strip, which has been pushed close to famine by Israel's invasion and blockade during the Israel–Hamas war.^[3][4]

The attack occurred three days after a unanimous ICJ ruling in the ongoing Genocide Convention case that ordered Israel to ensure the unhindered flow of aid into Gaza.^[5] The Israeli military acknowledged that their drone operators fired three missiles in five minutes at three of the WCK's cars, with some survivors of the first strike boarding the second car, which was minutes later hit by a second missile. Some survivors of the second strike boarding the third car, which was in turn struck by a third missile.^[4] All seven aid workers were killed, and their bodies were sent to Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital. They held Australian, British, Palestinian, Polish, and dual American-Canadian citizenships.^[3]

Despite the convoy's route having been coordinated in advance, the Israeli military claimed it had been targeting unauthorized gunmen but admitted its commanders had misidentified their location, failed to properly disseminate information about the convoy, and violated rules of engagement by striking all three cars in succession.^[4] Two officers were dismissed and three more reprimanded, including Southern Command head Yaron Finkelman.^[6][7] WCK founder, Spanish chef José Andrés, accused Israel of deliberately attacking the convoy; the group argued that the military could not credibly investigate itself and called for an independent inquiry.^{[8][9][10][11]} While noting serious failings on the part of the IDF, an Australian government report largely supported the Israeli position.^[12][13]

The attack drew widespread international condemnation,^[14][15] and led WCK and other humanitarian organizations to pause their operations in Gaza.^[16] Statements made by the Israeli ambassador in Poland on the incident led to a diplomatic spat between the two countries.^[17] The event led to allegations from various commentators that Israel is deliberately using starvation as a weapon of war, which is a war crime.^[15]