More than 200 Humanitarian Aid Workers Killed in the Gaza Strip During the Hamas-Israel War Since October

Illustration of humanitarian workers in Rafah, southern Gaza, Palestine. (Twitter/@PalestinineRCS)

JAKARTA - The death of seven humanitarian workers in an Israeli air strike on an aid convoy in the Gaza Strip on Monday extends the list of aid workers killed during the latest conflict in the Palestinian enclave.

The top UN official for coordinating humanitarian aid in Gaza said the killing of seven staff from a charity group helping to alleviate famine conditions in the Gaza Strip "was not an isolated incident."

"At least 196 humanitarian workers have been killed” in Gaza from October 2023 to March 20, said Jamie McGoldrick in a statement, reported by The Times of Israel, April 3.

"This is almost three times the number of deaths recorded in any conflict in a year," he continued.

McGoldrick added that the Palestinian enclave "has become one of the most dangerous and difficult places to work in the world. There is no safe place left in Gaza."

As previously reported, Israeli air strikes killed seven aid workers from a team delivering food to civilians in Gaza, according to WCK and authorities in the enclave.

WCK on Tuesday shared the identities of the victims who died in Monday's incident, namely John Chapman (57), James (Jim) Henderson (33), James Kirby (47), Jacob Flickinger (33), Damian Sobol, Lalzawmi (Zomi) Frankcom and Saifeddin Issam, as reported by CNN.

They traveled in two armored cars bearing WCK logos and other vehicles, WCK said in a statement.

Although the convoy was coordinated with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), it was attacked as it left the Deir al-Balah warehouse, after unloading more than 100 tonnes of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza by sea, WCK said.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi apologized for Israel's deadly attack on an aid convoy in Gaza, admitting the attack was the result of a "misidentification" that was being investigated and studied, as quoted by The Times of Israel.

"It was a mistake that occurred after misidentification, at night, during war, in very complex conditions. This should not have happened," he explained, adding that there was "no intention to harm WCK aid workers."