A group of five armed terrorists were killed after they were caught posing as members of the World Central Kitchen humanitarian group in central Gaza, the Israeli military said Tuesday.
Video from Deir al-Balah, one of the few cities largely spared by the 21-month Mideast war, shows a group of men in bright vests traveling in a vehicle marked with the WCK’s emblem.
“The terrorists deliberately attached the [WCK] emblem and wore yellow vests in an attempt to disguise their activities and avoid being targeted, cynically exploiting the status and trust given to aid organizations,” the Israel Defense Force said in a statement.
The military said its unit that oversees the distribution of humanitarian aid contacted WCK about the group spotted near Deir al-Balah, with the nonprofit confirming that the vehicle was not affiliated with them.
While the IDF only confirmed that five of the men were killed, the video showed at least 10 people huddled around the car and putting on the vests before the vehicle set off.
The IDF did not state if the men killed in the strike were specifically with Hamas or members of other terror groups or militias based in the Gaza Strip.
WCK said it condemned anyone who would pose as one of their employees, warning that such actions endanger real aid workers operating in Gaza.
The agency, founded in 2010 by Spanish-American chef and restaurateur José Andrés, provides food relief to those around the world, with the humanitarian group currently focusing on trying to avoid the looming famine in Gaza.
The war in Gaza has repeatedly put humanitarian aid workers at risk, with at least 10 WCK staffers killed last year after they were hit by Israeli airstrikes, including seven who were unloading 100 tons of food.
Israeli officials have repeatedly apologized for the deaths, blaming Hamas for putting the aid workers at risk and accusing the group of routinely hiding behind the humanitarian efforts in Gaza.
