Israel kills five armed terrorists posing as part of World Central Kitchen

An Israeli airstrike killed five terrorists, who were armed and posing as part of World Central Kitchen, in Gaza last week, the Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday.

The IDF published aerial footage of what it said were terrorists operating in and around a vehicle marked with with the WCK emblem in the Deir al-Balah area. The Israeli military said that the five were not affiliated with the aid organization and posed a threat to Israeli troops.

“The terrorists deliberately affixed the emblem and wore yellow vests in an attempt to conceal their activity and avoid being targeted, cynically exploiting the status and trust afforded to aid organizations,” the IDF said.

Representatives from the Gaza district coordination and liaison office at the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories said that World Central Kitchen, founded by celebrity Washington chef José Andrés, confirmed that the vehicle in question had no ties to the nonprofit.

“Hamas and other terrorist organizations exploit the humanitarian effort to advance terrorist objectives at the expense of the welfare of the population in Gaza,” the Israeli military said.

“The IDF, through COGAT, will continue to work in cooperation with international aid organizations to prevent their exploitation for terrorist purposes,” the IDF stated.

Andrés has accused Israel of targeting World Central Kitchen aid workers “systematically car by car” and said that the Jewish state’s war against Hamas is a “war against humanity itself.”

The IDF expressed “deep” condolences to Andrés in April 2024, after the Israeli military’s probe found that an Israeli strike killed seven aid workers.