Who were the World Central Kitchen workers killed in Gaza? Three British ex-forces heroes, aid workers and driver

Three former British servicemen were among the victims of an Israeli air strike which killed seven aid workers in Gaza yesterday.

Former Royal Marines James Henderson and John Chapman and an ex-Army soldier James Kirby died in a drone strike on an aid convoy that triggered worldwide condemnation.

The team, which was providing security for the World Central Kitchen charity, were hit on Monday as they moved food from a warehouse to distribute to Gaza's starving population.

Along with the three British nationals providing security, four aid workers were also killed when the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse.

The aid workers included Australian Lalzawmi 'Zomi' Frankcom, a Polish national Damian Sobol, an American-Canadian dual citizen Jacob Flickinger and Palestinian Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha.

James 'Jim' Henderson formed part of the relief team's security detail, World Central Kitchen said.

According to his LinkedIn page, the 33-year-old was a former roofer from Cornwall who served for six years in the Royal Marines.

Following his exit from the military in 2016, he had worked a series of close personal security jobs before volunteering to work with WCK. 

He described himself as 'a highly disciplined, courteous and proactive individual who is mobile, offers flexibility and is willing to take on any further training necessary to offer the best service possible' and said he 'takes the health and safety of others very seriously'.

He left the military in 2016 to pursue security jobs such as the one in Gaza, and wrote that his 'true vocation lies in security' in a 'civilian position'.

He was due to leave Gaza on Monday, the Times reported.

His family were only informed of his death on Tuesday morning, a day after he was killed, neighbours in Falmouth, Cornwall, told MailOnline.

A close friend said: 'Everybody is gutted, he was a lovely lad. He hadn't been out there long, only a couple of weeks.'

'The group he was working for broke the news to the family this morning.'

'Everybody is gutted, he was a lovely lad. He'd been there a few weeks,' another friend said of Henderson, according to The Sun. 

John Chapman was a 57-year-old who was among the charity's security team and was said to be a former Royal Marine.

The father-of-two, from Dorset, also reportedly served in the Special Boat Service, the special forces unit of the Royal Navy.

In a statement released through the Foreign Office, Mr Chapman's family said he 'died trying to help people and was subject to an inhumane act'.

The statement added: 'He was an incredible father, husband, son and brother.

'He was loved by many and will forever be a hero. He will be missed dearly'.

One of Chapman's pals told the The Sun that the former SBS hero had only been in Gaza 'matter of weeks' after having served 'previous stints working in the Middle East'.

He hailed Chapman, 57, as a 'brilliant bloke' and said his death was a 'huge loss for his family, his friends and for the veteran community'. He also urged officials to provide more support to aid workers.

'People trying to deliver aid into Gaza are doing the right thing and they need support and protection from people like John and his colleagues to do their job,' the insider said.

James Kirby was a 47-year-old who also worked in the charity's security team and was a military veteran.

In a statement to the BBC, his family described him as a 'genuine gentleman'.

They said: 'Alongside the other six individuals who tragically lost their lives, he will be remembered as a hero.

'James understood the dangers of venturing into Gaza, drawing from his experiences in the British armed forces, where he bravely served tours in Bosnia and Afghanistan.

'Despite the risks, his compassionate nature drove him to offer assistance to those in dire need.'

Mr Kirby's cousin, Adam McGuire, told Sky News: 'Not only James but the six other individuals are like heroes to us. They went out there selflessly to help some of the most desperate people in the world.'

According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr Kirby was a former sniper marksman and rifleman in the Army.

The page reads: 'An experienced, SIA-licensed (Security Industry Authority) close protection officer with a background in executive protection, hostile and covert surveillance, security management and maritime security.

'Former member of the British armed forces, fully qualified in all aspects of close protection, with experience working with high-net-worth individuals, business leaders and their families and staff, globally.

'Willing and able to work on international assignments, and free to travel as required.'

He also described himself as someone who 'maintains a calm demeanour under extreme pressure, including life-threatening situations' and said he was 'experienced in working in varied theatres across the globe, both on land and at sea, including hostile and austere locations'.

The Times said Mr Kirby was believed to be a former member of Britain's special forces.

Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that Israeli forces were to blame, saying the aid workers had been killed by an 'unintended strike'. He said officials were 'checking thoroughly' what had happened.

But aid agencies accused Israel of deliberately targeting their staff. And Mr Netanyahu was last night under intense pressure to explain why the attack happened – and to guarantee that there will be no further strikes against aid workers.

Ships carrying 240 tonnes of food aid were yesterday reported to have turned back from Gaza in the wake of the bombing, adding to the humanitarian crisis in the narrow strip of land.

Rishi Sunak told Mr Netanyahu he was 'appalled by the killing of aid workers'. In a phone conversation the Prime Minister demanded a 'thorough and transparent independent investigation into what happened'.

The Australian victim was named this morning as Lalzawmi 'Zomi' Frankcom, 43, from Melbourne.

Friends and family remembered Zomi as a brave, selfless woman whose care for others drew her across the globe. For the last five years, she'd worked for Washington-based World Central Kitchen, taking her to the U.S., Thailand and her native Australia.

'We 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 bushfires that occurred during that Black Summer,' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp. 'She is someone who clearly was concerned about her fellow humanity.'

In a statement, relatives described Frankcom as an 'outstanding human being' who was 'killed doing the work she loves delivering food to the people of Gaza.'

She was born in Melbourne and earned a bachelor's from the Swinburne University of Technology. For eight years, she worked for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the nation's largest bank.

Frankcom's social media highlighted visits to help those in need in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Romania and Haiti.

World Central Kitchen colleague Dora Weekley, who met Frankcom responding to Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas in 2019, described her as 'larger than life.'

She recalled when Frankcom was invited to walk a Hollywood red carpet, for a documentary about World Central Kitchen that was nominated for an Emmy.

'I remember getting a picture of her in a dress, saying, `Hold onto this forever,'' Weekley told ABC. 'Because usually I'm in sweats and runners, and I'm in Pakistan or Afghanistan or, you know, she could be anywhere, and never with her hair done or makeup done.

'She worked all hours, she gave everything, and she believed in helping people who were less fortunate.'

Jacob Flickinger was a 33-year-old dual citizen of the United States and Canada. He was reportedly the team lead.

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly called for a full investigation and said in a post on X that strikes on humanitarian personnel were 'absolutely unacceptable.'

Speaking Wednesday in Brussels before a NATO meeting, she repeated the call for an investigation and said she had reached out to the Israeli foreign minister.

'Israel needs to respect humanitarian law, and we will make sure that is the case,' she said.

Saifeddin 'Saif' Issam Ayad Abutaha, 27, had worked for World Central Kitchen as a driver and translator since the beginning of the year, relatives said.

His brothers described him as a dedicated young man eager to help fellow Palestinians.

He'd also been a successful businessman who conducted trade with Ukraine, Egypt, China and others, brother Abdul Razzaq Abu Taha said. His work made him known on the Israeli side, his brother added, which helped in coordination and approval to assist the World Central Kitchen team in unloading the ship.

Saif had hoped to get married. 'My mother was looking for a wife for him,' Abdul Razzaq Abu Taha said. 'He was supposed to get married if the war didn't happen.'

Saif and other workers were excited about unloading the food aid, desperately needed in Gaza. The last time Saif and his brother spoke, he said, they'd finished the job and he was heading home.

After hearing about the airstrikes, Abdul Razzaq Abu Taha said he tried to call to see whether Saif was OK.

After many attempts, he said, a stranger answered and told him, 'I found this phone about 200 meters away from the car. All of the people inside are killed.'

Damian Soból, 35, was known as a cheerful, friendly and resourceful manager who quickly rose in World Central Kitchen's ranks.

Hailing from the southeastern Polish city of Przemyśl and studying hospitality there, Soból had been on aid missions in Ukraine, Morocco, Turkey and, for the past six months, Gaza.

'He was a really extraordinary guy,' said Marta Wilczynska, of the Free Place Foundation, which cooperates with World Central Kitchen. 'We were very proud of him.'

Wilczynska met Soból on the Polish side of the border with Ukraine, a few days after Russia's February 2022 invasion. He spoke English well and was a translator, and as a skilled manager, he could organize work in any condition, she said.

'Always smiling, always so helpful, he loved this job. I felt I had a brother in him,' Wilczynska said.

Free Place Foundation President Mikolaj Rykowski said Soból was 'the man for every task - he could overcome every difficulty.'

Posting on Facebook, Przemy*l Mayor Wojciech Bakun said of Soból's death that there are 'no words to describe how people who knew this fantastic young man feel now.'

Downing Street said Mr Sunak told the Israeli PM on Tuesday night that the situation was becoming 'increasingly intolerable' and that 'far too many aid workers and ordinary civilians have lost their lives in Gaza'.

A No 10 spokesman said: 'The UK expects to see immediate action by Israel to end restrictions on humanitarian aid, deconflict with the UN and aid agencies, protect civilians and repair vital infrastructure like hospitals and water networks.

'The Prime Minister reiterated that Israel's rightful aim of defeating Hamas would not be achieved by allowing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.'

Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, told his Israeli counterpart that the attack was 'completely unacceptable'. Israel's ambassador to the UK was also summoned to the Foreign Office for a dressing down.

In a strongly worded statement, Sir Keir Starmer said the attack was 'outrageous and unacceptable', adding: 'This war must stop now.'

Some Labour MPs demanded an immediate end to arms sales to Israel. Former shadow justice secretary and Left-winger Richard Burgon said the UK had licensed almost £500million worth of arms sales to Israel and suggested this was 'the latest incident where UK military exports may have been used in attacks on British nationals'.

Whitehall sources last night acknowledged that the 'horrendous' attack would make it harder for the Government to maintain its steadfast support for Israel's operation in Gaza.

One insider said: 'This sort of thing just cannot be allowed to happen. We have shown support for Israel but that is contingent on them conducting themselves in a certain way, including acting in line with international humanitarian law.'

Israel was under mounting pressure last night to explain why its forces had targeted a respected charity whose staff were travelling in clearly marked vehicles. 

Three missiles from a single drone hit the three vehicles one by one. 

Shocking pictures from the scene showed that one missile had punched straight through the prominently displayed logo of the charity on the roof of an armoured vehicle.

The convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where workers had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza by sea.

Nael Eliyan, a Palestinian living in a tent just yards away from where the missile struck, told The Sun that the aid workers' 'injuries were serious and they died quickly'.

The World Central Kitchen said it had co-ordinated the movement of its team in Gaza in advance with the Israeli Defence Forces.

WCK chief executive Erin Gore described it as a 'targeted attack' designed to deter aid agencies working in Gaza – which has been subjected to months of bombardment following the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel.

She said she was 'heartbroken and appalled', adding: 'This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organisations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable.'

Deliberate attacks on civilians, including aid workers, are considered a war crime.

Netanyahu said on Tuesday an Israeli airstrike had mistakenly killed the charity workers, as Britain, the US and other allies called for explanations amid widespread condemnation.

Israel's military voiced 'sincere sorrow' over the incident, which ratcheted up international pressure for steps to ease the disastrous humanitarian situation in Gaza nearly six months into Israel's siege and invasion of the Palestinian enclave.

'Unfortunately in the past day there was a tragic event in which our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants in the Gaza Strip,' Netanyahu said in a video statement.

'This happens in war. We are conducting a thorough inquiry and are in contact with the governments. We will do everything to prevent a recurrence.'

The Israeli military (IDF) pledged an investigation by 'an independent, professional and expert body'.

Britain summoned Israel's ambassador in London to express its 'unequivocal condemnation of the appalling killing' of the WCK workers, three of whom were British nationals, and called for an urgent explanation from Israel of how this had occurred. 

Israel last night faced condemnation from around the world. Poland, Australia and Canada demanded answers from Israel about the deaths of their citizens.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese demanded 'full accountability' from Israel over the death of aid worker Lalzawmi Frankcom who was killed in the convoy.

US President Joe Biden was 'heartbroken', his press secretary said.

Mr Sunak said the aid workers were 'doing fantastic work.... They need to be allowed to do that work unhindered and it is incumbent on Israel to make sure they can do that'.

Last night protesters led by families of Israeli hostages and anti-government groups marched on the PM's residence in Jerusalem.

Mr Netanyahu said: 'Unfortunately over the last day there was a tragic incident of an unintended strike of our forces on innocent people in the Gaza Strip.' He said officials were 'checking this thoroughly' but added: 'It happens in war... and we will do everything so that this thing does not happen again.'

The IDF expressed its 'deepest condolences' to the families of the aid workers, and said it was 'reviewing the incident at the highest levels'.

IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari later said in a statement that he had 'expressed the deepest condolences of the Israel Defence Forces to the families and the entire World Central Kitchen family'.

'We will be opening a probe to examine this serious incident further.

'This will help us reduce the risk of such an event from occurring again.

'The incident will be investigated in the Fact Finding and Assessment Mechanism: an independent, professional, and expert body.'

The White House on Tuesday condemned the deadly airstrike as 'outrageous' and said it expected a broad and impartial investigation to be carried out with appropriate accountability.

'These people are heroes, they run into the fire, not away from it,' US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said of the seven aid workers, speaking to reporters in Paris. 'We shouldn't have a situation where people who are simply trying to help their fellow human beings are themselves at grave risk.'

Yet in a sign of how Washington has set itself as Israel's most loyal defender, John Kirby, White House national security spokesman, said American officials would wait for the results of an investigation before drawing wider conclusions.

And he insisted there was no question of halting weapons sales to Israel. 

'We were outraged to learn of an [Israel Defense Forces]strike that killed a number of civilian humanitarian workers yesterday from the World Central Kitchen, which has been relentless and working to get food to those who are hungry in Gaza, and quite frankly, around the world,' he said.

'We send our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones.'

Israel has long denied accusations that it is hindering the distribution of urgently needed food aid in Gaza, which it has besieged in a war since October, saying the problem is caused by international aid groups' inability to get it to those in need.

Since the October start of the war, World Central Kitchen has been involved in relief efforts, including supplying meals to hunger-stricken Gaza.

It is one of two NGOs spearheading efforts to deliver aid to Gaza by boat from Cyprus and was also involved in the construction of a temporary jetty.

The group has set up two main kitchens in the southern city of Rafah and the central town of Deir al-Balah. It lends support to 68 community kitchens throughout the territory, serving more than 170,000 hot meals a day. 

In Cyprus, officials said seaborne aid for Gaza civilians was returning to the eastern Mediterranean island following the killing of the WCK workers, after the US-based charity said it would pause work in the enclave.

The United Arab Emirates, which had been the main financier for WCK's aid efforts through the maritime corridor, said it was pausing such shipments from Cyprus pending further safety guarantees from Israel and a full investigation.

In Britain, a Cabinet minister said the Government is 'very, very concerned' by reports that a British aid worker has been killed in Gaza.

Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, told the BBC: 'We haven't had it confirmed yet, but we are very, very concerned by the situation.

'We do know that we've urged Israel to do more to protect civilians, but also to allow aid to get into Gaza.

'But we haven't yet had this confirmed and I think the IDF are reviewing this, probably as we speak.'

She added it was 'worrying' that the charity World Central Kitchen had suspended its work in Gaza.

She said: 'One of the key things is trying to ensure we get more aid into Gaza, so if one of the charities working on the ground has suspended, then that's obviously deeply concerning.'

Ms Keegan added: 'Our thoughts would go to everybody affected.'

James Elder, spokesman for the United Nation's Children's Fund (Unicef), said the aid worker deaths underlined how dangerous the situation in Gaza has become.

He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: 'It is utterly horrifying. These people had been unloading something like a hundred tonnes of humanitarian food aid at this most critical junction when they were saving lives day in, day out.

Describing it as an 'immense tragedy', Mr Elder said the incident 'underscores the horrendous conditions everyone continues to endure in Gaza, but it is just such a senseless loss of life'.

He added: 'This has been one of the most dangerous places in living memory to operate, Gaza is breaking too many bleak records - numbers of children killed, number of people facing catastrophic hunger, record displacement, worst devastation to homes in living memory and largest number of United Nations colleagues killed since it was created.'

The aid ships that arrived Monday carried some 400 tons of food and supplies in a shipment organized by the United Arab Emirates and the World Central Kitchen, the charity founded by celebrity chef José Andrés.

Last month a ship delivered 200 tons of aid in a pilot run. The Israeli military was involved in coordinating both deliveries.

The US has touted the sea route as a new way to deliver desperately needed aid to northern Gaza, where several hundred Palestinians face imminent famine, largely cut off from the rest of the territory by Israeli forces .

Israel has barred UNRWA, the main UN agency in Gaza, from making deliveries to the north , and other aid groups say sending truck convoys north has been too dangerous because of the military's failure to ensure safe passage.

The airstrike comes after the Israeli military withdrew from Gaza's largest hospital early Monday after a two-week raid that engulfed the facility and surrounding districts in fighting. 

Footage showed widespread devastation, with the facility's main buildings reduced to burned-out husks.

The military has described the raid on Shifa Hospital as a major battlefield victory in the nearly six-month war, and officials said Israeli troops killed 200 militants in the operation, though the claim that they were all militants could not be confirmed.

The raid came at a time of mounting frustration in Israel, with tens of thousands protesting Sunday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and demanding that he do more to bring home dozens of hostages held in Gaza. It was the largest anti-government demonstration since the start of the war.

Elsewhere, Syrian officials and state media said an Israeli airstrike destroyed the Iran's consulate in Syria, killing two Iranian generals and five officers.

The strike appears to signify an escalation of Israel's targeting of Iranian military officials and their allies in Syria. The targeting has intensified since Hamas militants - who are supported by Iran - attacked Israel on October 7.

While Iran's consular building was levelled in the attack, according to Syria's SANA state news agency, its main embassy building remained intact.

Israel, which rarely acknowledges such strikes, said it had no comment. Iran's ambassador, Hossein Akbari, vowed revenge for the attack 'at the same magnitude and harshness.'

The war began on October 7 when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage.

Israel responded with an air, land and sea offensive that has killed at least 32,845 Palestinians, around two-thirds of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. 

The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. 

The Israeli military blames the civilian toll on Palestinian militants because they fight in dense residential areas.

The war has displaced most of the territory's population and driven a third of its residents to the brink of famine. 

Northern Gaza, where Shifa is located, has suffered vast destruction and has been largely isolated since October, leading to widespread hunger.

Netanyahu has vowed to keep up the offensive until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages are freed. 

He says Israel will soon expand ground operations to the southern city of Rafah, where some 1.4 million people - more than half of Gaza's population - have sought refuge.

But he faces mounting pressure from Israelis who blame him for the security failures of October 7 and from some families of the hostages who blame him for the failure to reach a deal despite several weeks of talks mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. 

Allied countries, including main backer the United States, have warned him against an invasion of Rafah.

Hamas and other militants are still believed to be holding some 100 hostages and the remains of 30 others, after freeing most of the rest during a cease-fire last November in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.