Three British aid workers have been killed in Gaza following an Israeli air strike, a charity has confirmed.
The World Central Kitchen Charity (WCK) has confirmed their operations have been paused in the war-torn area after a seven of their workers delivering relief were killed.
Other victims of the strike were from Australia, Poland, Palestine and a dual citizen of America and Canada. They were travelling through a deconflicted zone, WCK said in a statement.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said on Tuesday morning that it was “aware” of the report.
It was earlier believed that only one British national had died from the air strike but BBC News confirmed the number had risen to three.
Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have “expressed the deepest condolences” to the families of the World Central Kitchen aid workers killed in Gaza.
READ MORE: UK government lawyers believe Israel is breaking international law
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement: “Last night, an incident took place in Gaza that resulted in the tragic death of World Central Kitchen employees as they fulfilled their vital mission of bringing food to people in need.
“As a professional military committed to international law, we are committed to examining our operations thoroughly and transparently.”
Foreign Secretary David Cameron earlier called for a “full, transparent explanation” from the Israeli Government.
We have called on Israel to immediately investigate and provide a full, transparent explanation of what happened.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) April 2, 2024
He has since issued an update saying he’d spoken to his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, to stress the need for “major changes” to ensure the safety of aid workers in Gaza.
He said in a post on X, formerly Twitter: “I spoke with Israeli FM @Israel_Katz to underline that the deaths of @WCKitchen aid workers in Gaza, including three British Nationals, are completely unacceptable.
“Israel must urgently explain how this happened and make major changes to ensure safety of aid workers on the ground.”
It's now believed the bodies of the seven dead aid workers will be taken to Egypt.
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