Ahmed Asmar
08 August 2024•Update: 08 August 2024
ANKARA
The World Central Kitchen (WCK), a US-based aid group, said Thursday that one of its staff members was killed in the central Gaza Strip.
In a statement, WCK said Nadi Sallout, a Palestinian, was killed near the central city of Deir al-Balah, without providing details about the circumstances of his death.
“He was an integral member of our warehouse team from the early days of our response in Rafah and a humanitarian at his very core,” WCK said.
"We are still learning the details of this tragedy, but believe he was off duty at the time," it added.
On April 1, an Israeli airstrike killed seven aid workers from the group; three Britons, an Australian, a Polish national, a US-Canadian dual citizen and a Palestinian.
The killings have triggered calls for accountability from around the world, with many, including WCK founder Jose Andres, disputing Israel’s claim that the attack was a “mistake” and a case of “misidentification.”
In late April, WCK's chief executive officer Erin Gore said the humanitarian situation in Gaza "remains dire" and announced restarting its aid operations "with the same energy, dignity, and focus on feeding as many people as possible."
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack last October by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
Over 39,600 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 91,400 injured, according to local health authorities.
Over 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar
