The Health Ministry in Gaza confirmed on Monday that four foreign aid workers and their Palestinian driver were killed when an Israeli strike hit their car.

The Ministry stated that five martyrs had arrived at a hospital in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah after "an Israeli strike targeted a vehicle belonging to the American organisation World Central Kitchen."

"They hold British, Australian and Polish nationalities, with the fourth nationality not known," it said in another statement, which added that the fifth person killed was a Palestinian driver and translator.

These are the World Central Kitchen staff members that the israeli regime murdered today: the friendly faces of the food aid campaign pic.twitter.com/oDy4cB5rem

— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) April 1, 2024

The World Central Kitchen said in a post on X that it was "aware of reports" that members of its staff had been killed in an Israeli attack while working to support humanitarian food delivery efforts in Gaza.

"This is a tragedy. Humanitarian aid workers and civilians should NEVER be a target. EVER," it stressed.

We are aware of reports that members of the World Central Kitchen team have been killed in an IDF attack while working to support our humanitarian food delivery efforts in Gaza. This is a tragedy. Humanitarian aid workers and civilians should NEVER be a target. EVER.

— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) April 1, 2024

The NGO's founder Chef Jose Andres said the World Central Kitchen "lost several of our sisters and brothers" in an Israeli airstrike.

"I am heartbroken and grieving for their families and friends and our whole WCK family."

Hamas said it condemns in the strongest terms the Israeli targeting of workers in the World Central Kitchen, south of Deir al-Balah.

It pointed out in a statement that the crime reaffirms that "Israel" still insists on its policy of systematic killing against unarmed civilians, international relief teams, and humanitarian organizations, as part of its efforts to terrorize workers in these fields and prevent them from pursuing their humanitarian missions.

The Palestinian Resistance group called on the international community and the UN Security Council to condemn this heinous act and take action to put an end to the Israeli crimes and aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

On their part, National and Islamic Palestinian forces noted that an Israeli airstrike targeted several vehicles displaying well-known international signs as they returned from the al-Lisan sea area.

The forces said the heinous crime exposes the level of Nazi-like Israeli terrorism and is "a message of terrorization to the whole world and all international and humanitarian efforts" seeking to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people amid the ongoing Israeli aggression and siege.

US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson claimed the White House was "heartbroken and deeply troubled by the strike."

"Humanitarian aid workers must be protected as they deliver aid that is desperately needed, and we urge Israel to swiftly investigate what happened," she wrote on X.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday confirmed one of the killed aid workers was Australian national Zomi Frankcom.

"This is completely unacceptable. Australia expects full accountability for the deaths of aid workers," Albanese said

It is noteworthy that the World Central Kitchen has been involved in delivering the aid that arrived by boat from Cyprus and in the construction of a temporary jetty in Gaza.

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