World Central Kitchen halts operations in Rafah amid escalating conflict
The World Central Kitchen (WCK), nonprofit organization serving meals in crisis zones, has suspended operations in Rafah, southern Gaza, due to ongoing airstrikes
The World Central Kitchen (WCK), a nonprofit committed to serving meals in crisis zones, has suspended operations in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, owing to continued airstrikes. The news was made late Tuesday on the social media site X.
“In the face of Israeli operations in Rafah, countless families are being forced to flee once again,” claimed the US-based organization, created by Spanish-American celebrity chef José Andrés. “Ongoing attacks have forced us to pause work at our main kitchen in Rafah and relocate many of our community kitchens further north.”
The group has only just restarted operations in Gaza, following a hiatus in April after seven of its employees were murdered in three bombings by an Israeli drone. Individuals from Australia, the United Kingdom, North America, Palestine, and Poland were killed, generating global indignation at Israel’s military operations.
An internal Israeli military investigation eventually determined that the drone crew made a “operational misjudgment” by misunderstanding a suspected Hamas shooter on top of an aid vehicle.
The situation in Rafah has deteriorated substantially in recent weeks, with more violence after the Israeli military’s offensive assault that began on May 7. This operation occurred after Israeli soldiers took control of the crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
Gaza officials reported a deadly Israeli attack on Sunday that ignited a packed displaced persons camp in Rafah, killing 45 people and injuring scores more. While the Israeli military has initiated an inquiry into the event, it claims that their ammunition alone “could not” have triggered the devastating fire.
The escalation of the Rafah offensive has made bringing assistance into Gaza more difficult, according to numerous humanitarian groups. The World Health Organization’s representative in the Palestinian territories, Rik Peeperkorn, stated on Tuesday that delivering and distributing medical and other help remains “very challenging” in both the south and north of Gaza.
Source:AFP
