Aid Ship Returns to Cyprus After Israeli Air Strike Kills Seven Humanitarian Workers

JAKARTA - A ship carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza by sea has returned to Cyprus, after Israel killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers, Cypriot officials said on Tuesday, with the US-based charity saying it would temporarily suspend its activities in Palestinian enclave.

World Central Kitchen (WCK) staff had just unloaded 100 tons of food aid from a barge sailing from Cyprus, when Israel attacked their convoy of vehicles on Monday evening with an airstrike.

The barge was part of a fleet of four ships that sailed from Larnaca, Cyprus, on March 30. Another ship still carrying 240 tonnes of food, the Jennifer, was heading back to Cyprus on Tuesday along with empty barges, a rescue ship, and tugboats after the WCK suspended operations.

"They only managed to unload the barges," a Cypriot official told Reuters, as quoted on April 3.

"One-third (of the aid cargo) has been sent, and two-thirds will return," he continued.

Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, who said Cypriot authorities had contacted WCK, said the attack occurred 12 km (7 miles) from the aid landing site, a makeshift dock set up by the charity.

Aid workers had just ended a shift in the middle of the demolition process, which was supposed to resume on Tuesday morning, the Cypriot minister said.

"This is something that has now been frozen and since the WCK announced it – they will leave the area to come back, regroup, and see and assess what the next steps are," Kombos said.

Monday's attack was a serious setback in efforts to speed up aid to Gaza, where international agencies say many people are on the brink of starvation due to the Israeli offensive, which has killed more than 32,000 people.

Israel said the attack was "tragic" and unintentional, admitting to a misidentification. Meanwhile, WCK said it had coordinated their trip with the Israeli military, with two armored cars emblazoned with the charity's logo.

The United Arab Emirates, which has been the main funder of WCK aid efforts through the maritime corridor, said it was halting humanitarian aid efforts through the channel pending further security assurances and a full investigation, a UAE official said.

"This tragic event must not discourage us. We must redouble our efforts to deliver aid to Gaza," said Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides after a meeting with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

It is known that WCK has been active in Gaza since October, bringing food by land and also participating in air deliveries.

In March, the agency launched a maiden sea corridor transporting aid to the enclave from Cyprus.