Rishi Sunak says there are 'questions that need answering' after Israeli ... trends now

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he is 'shocked and saddened' by the deaths of British aid workers in Gaza following a deadly Israeli airstrike on an aid truck, declaring 'clearly there are questions that need to be answered'.

It comes after British Foreign Secretary David Cameron demanded Israel immediately launch an investigation and provide a 'full, transparent explanation' for the 'deeply distressing' deaths.

Initial reports indicated one British man was among seven volunteers working with the World Central Kitchen (WCK) charity to distribute food to Palestinians in Gaza who perished in the strike.

But images from the scene suggested two British passports were found among the devastation of a clearly marked WCK truck. 

Horrific photographs showed how a huge hole had been blown in the roof of the truck reducing the rear of the car to twisted hunks of charred metal, with the vehicle's interior torn to shreds by the force of the blast. 

'British Nationals are reported to have been killed, we are urgently working to verify this information and will provide full support to their families,' Cameron said on X.

'It is essential that humanitarian workers are protected and able to carry out their work. We have called on Israel to immediately investigate and provide a full, transparent explanation of what happened.'

The team from the charity and their Palestinian driver were killed in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah when their vehicle was struck on Monday, local media reported, after the group helped deliver food and other supplies to the region.

World Central Kitchen (WCK) said in a statement that seven aid workers from the UK, Australia, Poland, dual citizens of the US and Canada, and Palestine were killed while travelling in a deconflicted zone.

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 dead at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Several of them wore protective gear with the charity's logo.

In comments to journalists this morning, Prime Minister Sunak said: 'We are asking Israel to investigate what happened urgently, because clearly there are questions that need to be answered.'

Mr Sunak added: 'My thoughts are with their friends and family.

'They are doing fantastic work bringing alleviation to the suffering that many are experiencing in Gaza.

'They should be praised and commended for what they are doing.

'They need to be allowed to do that work unhindered and it is incumbent on Israel to make sure they can do that.'

The IDF said it has launched a probe into the incident at the 'highest levels' and reiterated that it has been 'working closely' with the charity, but also 'makes extensive efforts to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid'. 

IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari later said in a statement that he had 'expressed the deepest condolences of the Israel Defence Forces to the families and the entire World Central Kitchen family'.

'We will be opening a probe to examine this serious incident further.

'This will help us reduce the risk of such an event from occurring again.

'The incident will be investigated in the Fact Finding and Assessment Mechanism: an independent, professional, and expert body.'

WCK CEO Erin Gore said this morning: 'This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organisations 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.'

The Australian victim was named this morning as Lalzawmi 'Zomi' Frankcom, 44, from Melbourne, while the Polish victim was named as Damian Sobol.

Since the October start of the war, World Central Kitchen has been involved in relief efforts, including supplying meals to hunger-stricken Gaza.

It is one of two NGOs spearheading efforts to deliver aid to Gaza by boat from Cyprus and was also involved in the construction of a temporary jetty.

WCK 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'.

Its statement said the team was travelling in two armoured cars 'branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle.'

It added: 'Despite coordinating movements with the IDF, the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route.'

Gaza medical officials said earlier 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.

Their bodies could be seen in the background wrapped in body bags and wearing armour marked with the World Central Kitchen logo.

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