Who are the World Central Kitchen workers killed by Israeli strike?
Israeli airstrikes killed seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK) on Monday, drawing sharp criticism of Israel’s continued bombardment and mourning by friends, family and the global community.
The workers were leaving a warehouse in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and driving in a “deconflicted zone” in two armored cars when the strike hit, the organization said. WCK, founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, had been working in Gaza to deliver several hundred tons of food to civilians in the area.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed responsibility for the “unintended” airstrikes and said it was a “tragic event,” but he also said things like this happen in war.
WCK released the names of the employees Tuesday after Andrés admonished Netanyahu and Israel for the deaths. Andrés called for the Israeli government to stop its “indiscriminate killing” and said “no more innocent lives” should be lost.
In an interview Wednesday with Reuters, Andrés said Israel “systematically, car by car” targeted his aid workers. He said it’s not a “bad luck situation” where the Israeli military accidentally “dropped the bomb in the wrong place.”
“No democratic country and no military can be targeting civilians and humanitarians,” he said.
On Tuesday, President Biden called Andrés to offer his condolences. Biden released a statement Tuesday that said he was “outraged” at the news of the workers’ deaths, including an American-Canadian dual citizen.
Here’s what we know about the people who were killed:
Jacob Flickinger
Jacob Flickinger was a 33-year-old dual citizen of the United States and Canada. He served for more than 10 years in the Canadian armed forces and was deployed to Afghanistan, The Associated Press reported.
In WCK’s post, the organization said Flickinger was among the four members killed who were on the relief team.
His mother, Sylvie Labrecque, told the AP that losing her son was “an extreme loss” but she was “not surprised” because he was heavily invested in “this type of work.”
“There has been several times where I thought there was a strong possibility that his life was going to be short,” she said. “He was kind of wild. He was very intense, but at the same time very smart.”
A GoFundMe page raising money to help Flickinger’s family said he had a 22-year-old girlfriend and a 1-year-old son in Costa Rica.
The Washington Post reported that Flickinger told his father, who is separated from Labrecque, to tell his mother he was heading to Cyprus on the mission, not Gaza, because he didn’t want her to worry.
His mother said she believes the aid convoy was deliberately targeted by the Israeli military. Flickinger’s death marks the first time an American has been killed in Gaza by the Israeli army since the start of the war.
Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha
Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha was a 25-year-old Palestinian working for WCK as a driver and translator since the beginning of the year, his relatives said, per the AP.
His brothers said he was a dedicated young man who was eager to help fellow Palestinians in the conflict. His brother said he had hoped to get married if the war didn’t happen.
Having been a successful businessman conducting trade with Ukraine, Egypt, China and others, his work made him known to the Israelis, his brother said. The last time they spoke, Saifeddin was excited to be heading home soon since their mission was nearly done.
A stranger picked up Saifeddin’s ringing phone after the airstrike and told his brother that “all of the people inside are killed.” Saifeddin was part of the WCK relief team.
Damian Soból
Damian Soból was a 35-year-old Polish national. He was a manager and part of the relief team; he was known to be cheerful, friendly and resourceful, and he quickly rose through the ranks at WCK.
Soból was from the southeastern Polish city of Przemyśl and had studied hospitality. He’d previously been on missions in Ukraine, Morroco and Turkey and spent the last six months in Gaza.
Marta Wilczynska of the Free Place Foundation, which works with WCK, said she met Soból on the Polish side of the border with Ukraine just days after Russia invaded the country in 2022. He spoke English well and was a translator who was described as “a really extraordinary guy” who could overcome “every difficulty.”
The community in Przemyśl will hold a local memorial for Soból on April 4. The mass and memorial are “open to the public” and “all are welcome to attend & pay tribute to Damian,” WCK said in a post online.
Lalzawmi ‘Zomi’ Frankcom
Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom was a 43-year-old Australian citizen who was part of the WCK relief team.
She’d worked for the Washington-based WCK, which took her to the U.S., Thailand and her home country Australia. Her friends and family remembered her as a brave and selfless woman.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the country will “mourn this fine Australian who has a record of helping out her fellow citizens, whether it be internationally or whether it be through the support that she gave during the brush fires that occurred during the Black Summer.”
In a statement reported by the AP, Frankcom’s relatives said she was an “outstanding human being” who was “killed doing the work she loves delivering food to the people of Gaza.”
Frankcom was born in Melbourne and earned a bachelor’s degree from the Swinburne University of Technology. Her social media pages showed photos of her travels and aid missions in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Romania and Haiti.
Her friend described her as “larger than life.” Frankcom “worked all hours, she gave everything, and she believed in helping people who were less fortunate.”
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Andrés said Frankcom was “always a brave soul.” He said Frankcom’s spirit “will always be with us” and will “always feed people, with love and kindness.”
“You made invisible people feel that they were being seen…being listen to…I’m sorry my friend…I wish I never met you….I wish I never founded @WCKKitchen..you would be alive somewhere today, smiling and making somebody somewhere feel like they were the most beloved person in the world…That how I always felt with you,” Andrés wrote.
John Chapman
John Chapman was a 57-year-old citizen of the United Kingdom. He was on WCK’s security team.
Chapman was a Royal Marines veteran whose family said in a statement they were devastated to lose him.
“He died trying to help people and was subject to an inhumane act,” the family said in a statement. “He was an incredible father, husband, son and brother.”
His family requested to be given space and time to “grieve appropriately.”
“He was loved by many and will forever be a hero. He will be missed dearly,” according to the statement, reported by Sky News.
James Henderson
James Henderson, known as Jim, was 33 years old and a former Royal Marine from Cornwall in southeast England. Sky News reported that Henderson was set to leave Gaza on Monday, the same day he was killed.
Henderson was part of the WCK security team along with Chapman.
James Kirby
James Kirby, 47, was from Bristol in southwest England and served in the British army before moving to private security work, including as a private security guard for players in the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
Kirby’s cousin, Amy Roxburgh-Barry, said he was an “all-round gentleman” who was planning on taking his mother and aunt on a surprise vacation after he returned from Gaza.
“It’s just devastating that he’s fought in these wars and come home with not a scratch, and then he goes out to do something helpful, and that’s what happens,” she told Sky News.
The Associated Press contributed.
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