Jacqueline Matter (00:01):
5:01 this morning. I'm Jacqueline Matter in the newsroom with breaking news out of the Middle East this morning. Six aid workers with the World Central Kitchen and their Palestinian driver are now dead after an apparent Israeli airstrike in Gaza. It happened in Central Gaza as the group there was delivering food. Those killed include three from Britain, one from Australia, one from Poland, and a US and Canadian dual citizen. World Central Kitchen says the team was traveling in a deconflicted zone in two armored cars branded with the WCK logo. You are seeing video here, new into our newsroom from the scene there of the World Central Kitchen being attacked there from that apparent Israeli strike. This is despite coordinating movements with the IDF. The convoy was hit as it was leaving their warehouse. The team had been there unloading aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route. (00:54) Now in a statement, World Central Kitchen saying, quote, "This is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable." End quote. (01:08) Meantime, the IDF says it is carrying out an in-depth examination at the highest levels to better understand the circumstances of this tragic incident, World Central Kitchen was founded by DC-based chef Jose Andres. He tweeted out saying, "I am heartbroken and grieving for their families and friends, and our whole WCK family. These are people, angels I served alongside in Ukraine, Gaza, Turkey, Morocco, Bahamas, Indonesia. They are not faceless and they are not nameless. The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing and it needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers and stop using food as a weapon." He went on to say, "No more Innocent lives lost." (01:53) World Central Kitchen has organized a shipment of 400 tons of food and supplies to go to Gaza, but workers began that distribution yesterday. The organization saying that they are now pausing their operations immediately in that region due to those six workers there that have now been killed. Makia-
Makia (02:12): Our condolences to their family it is just devastating.