Even amid the chaos of conflict, the harsh reality remained clear.
Israeli authorities admitted on Tuesday that their military used a drone to launch missiles at a convoy in Gaza operated by World Central Kitchen (WCK), a prominent food charity.
The attack resulted in the deaths of seven workers from the aid organization, including three British nationals, a U.S.-Canadian dual national, a Palestinian worker, and individuals from Australia and Poland, according to WCK. Following the incident, WCK announced the suspension of its operations in Gaza, a move later followed by several other humanitarian groups.
Reports suggest that the convoy's vehicles were clearly marked as belonging to the charity, yet Israeli forces repeatedly targeted them with precision strikes. This marked the first instance during the ongoing Gaza conflict where foreign nationals engaged in relief work were killed.
"This is not just an attack on WCK; it's an assault on humanitarian organizations that operate in the most desperate situations, where food is used as a weapon of war," said WCK CEO Erin Gore in a statement.
"This is unforgivable."
Various humanitarian leaders highlighted the already significant toll taken on aid workers during the conflict, which began after the militant group Hamas launched a terrorist attack on southern Israel on October 7.
"This is not an isolated incident," remarked U.N. humanitarian coordinator James McGoldrick, citing the deaths of at least 196 humanitarian workers—mostly Palestinians—in the occupied West Bank and Gaza since October. "This is almost three times the death toll recorded in any single conflict in a year."
Jeremy Konyndyk, president of advocacy organization Refugees International and a former official in the Obama administration, emphasized the implausibility of repeatedly striking a clearly marked convoy, hitting three vehicles in succession over a kilometer of road, as accidental.
He suggested it indicated a military culture that treats Gaza as a free-fire zone with impunity for egregious attacks on civilians.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret over the attack, describing it as "unintentional."
He assured that Israeli authorities were fully investigating the incident and would take all necessary measures to prevent its recurrence.
Nevertheless, Ciarán Donnelly, a senior vice president at the International Rescue Committee, stated that the attack would discourage aid workers from deploying to Gaza at a critical time when the war-torn territory faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with potentially half its population in need of assistance.
Israel's Western allies also condemned the incident. French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, speaking alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Paris, emphasized that the protection of humanitarian personnel is a moral and legal imperative that must be upheld by all.
He added, "Nothing can justify such a tragedy."
Blinken praised the courage of aid workers, stating, "They run into the fire, not away from it.
We shouldn’t have a situation where people who are simply trying to help their fellow human beings are themselves at grave risk."
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese demanded "full accountability" for the death of Australian aid worker Lalzawmi Frankcom, who had worked with WCK for a long time.
He praised her as a courageous humanitarian and stressed that losing her life under such circumstances was unacceptable.
Regional powers critical of Israel also criticized the attack. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry called it a "systematic continuation of the crimes and violations of international humanitarian law by the Israeli occupation," while the UAE described it as "a flagrant violation of all international treaties."
The incident has intensified pressure on Netanyahu. Domestically, he faces increasing protests over his handling of the conflict and failure to secure the release of dozens of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Internationally, there is growing anger over Israel's military campaign, which has resulted in the deaths of over 32,000 Palestinians and forced most of Gaza's population from their homes.
"The world is running out of patience with Israel's war in Gaza, and this incident only adds to the global dissatisfaction," remarked Israeli analyst Yossi Melman on news channel i24 News.
In Paris, Blinken called on Israel to promptly investigate the attack but refrained from outright condemnation, unlike his French counterpart.
He also defended the billions of dollars' worth of weapons transfers to Israel, despite mounting concerns that their use in the conflict may violate U.S. law.