British aid worker confirmed among seven World Central Kitchen members killed ... trends now

A British man is among seven aid workers killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike after they helped deliver food and other supplies to northern Gaza.

The team from the World Central Kitchen charity and their Palestinian driver were killed in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah when their car was  struck on Monday, local media reported.

The workers had just crossed in from the north after helping deliver aid that had arrived hours earlier on a ship from Cyprus, sources have claimed.

Harrowing footage shared online appeared to show the bodies of the five dead at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Several of them wore protective gear with the charity's logo. 

World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore said this morning: 'This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable.

'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.'

A spokesman for the Hamas-run Government has said that those killed included people from Poland, Australia and a British national.

The Australian victim was named this morning as Lalzawmi 'Zomi' Frankcom, 44, from Melbourne.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has launched a probe into the incident at the highest levels' and reiterated that not only has been it 'working closely' with the charity, but also 'makes extensive efforts to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid'.

World Central Kitchen has described the loss of life as a 'tragedy' and, in a statement posted online, said 'humanitarian aid workers and civilians should NEVER be a target. EVER'.

Gaza medical officials say an apparent Israeli airstrike killed four international aid workers with the US-based international aid charity and their Palestinian driver.

The car was hit by an Israeli strike just after crossing from northern Gaza, Mahmoud Thabet, a paramedic from the Palestinian Red Crescent who was on the team that brought the bodies to the hospital, has claimed.

Video posted to social media also shows staff displaying the passports of three of the dead - British, Australian and Polish. The nationality of the fourth aid worker was not immediately known. 

The source of fire could not be independently confirmed, but IDF will be 'conducting a thorough review' of the strike, Israel National News reported.

The army, in a statement, said: 'Following the reports regarding the World Central Kitchen personnel in Gaza today, the IDF is conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.

'The IDF makes extensive efforts to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, and has been working closely with WCK in their vital efforts to provide food and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.' 

The aid ships that arrived Monday carried some 400 tons of food and supplies in a shipment organized by the United Arab Emirates and the World Central Kitchen, the charity founded by celebrity chef José Andrés. 

Last month a ship delivered 200 tons of aid in a pilot run. The Israeli military was involved in coordinating both deliveries.

The US has touted the sea route as a new way to deliver desperately needed aid to northern Gaza, where several hundred Palestinians face imminent famine, largely cut off from the rest of the territory by Israeli forces. 

Israel has barred UNRWA, the main UN agency in Gaza, from making deliveries to the north, and other aid groups say sending truck convoys north has been too dangerous because of the military's failure to ensure safe passage.

The airstrike comes after the Israeli military withdrew from Gaza's largest hospital early Monday after a two-week raid that engulfed the facility and surrounding districts in fighting. 

Footage showed widespread devastation, with the facility's main buildings reduced to burned-out husks.

The military has described the raid on Shifa Hospital as a major battlefield victory in the nearly six-month war, and officials said Israeli troops killed 200 militants in the operation, though the claim that they were all militants could not be confirmed.

The raid came at a time of mounting frustration in Israel, with tens of thousands protesting Sunday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and demanding that he do more to bring home dozens of hostages held in Gaza. It was the largest anti-government demonstration since the start of the war.

Elsewhere, Syrian officials and state media said an Israeli airstrike destroyed the Iran's consulate in Syria, killing two Iranian generals and five officers.

The strike appears to signify an escalation of Israel's targeting of Iranian military officials and their allies in Syria. The targeting has intensified since Hamas militants - who are supported by Iran - attacked Israel on October 7.

While Iran's consular building was levelled in the attack, according to Syria's SANA state news agency, its main embassy building remained intact.

Israel, which rarely acknowledges such strikes, said it had no comment. Iran's ambassador, Hossein Akbari, vowed revenge for the attack 'at the same magnitude and harshness.'