US Defense Secretary Expresses Outrage Over Killing of Humanitarian Workers

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed “outrage” to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during a call Wednesday after the deaths of seven aid workers from an IDF airstrike.

Vehicles for the charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) were struck multiple times Monday as they left one of the organization’s warehouses where they had delivered food.

“Secretary Austin stressed the need to immediately take concrete steps to protect aid workers and Palestinian civilians in Gaza after repeated coordination failures with foreign aid groups,” said Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder of the call. “Secretary Austin urged Minister Gallant to conduct a swift and transparent investigation, to share their conclusions publicly, and to hold those responsible to account.”

The workers killed in the incident were from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, with one having dual citizenship of the U.S. and Canada, and one was a Palestinian.

The WCK said its workers were traveling in a deconflicted zone in two armored cars with WCK branding and had coordinated their movement with the IDF. The Israeli military took responsibility for the strike and said the error was due to miscommunication and poor intelligence that claimed a Hamas militant was traveling with the group.

“Secretary Austin stated that this tragedy reinforced the expressed concern over a potential Israeli military operation in Rafah, specifically focusing on the need to ensure the evacuation of Palestinian civilians and the flow of humanitarian aid,” Ryder said.

WCK said it will pause operations in the region.

“I am heartbroken and appalled that we — World Central Kitchen and the world — lost beautiful lives today because of a targeted attack by the IDF. The love they had for feeding people, the determination they embodied to show that humanity rises above all, and the impact they made in countless lives will forever be remembered and cherished,” World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore said.

President Joe Biden was scheduled to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to reiterate his desire for better protections for humanitarian workers while pressing for additional food shipments into Gaza.