The World Central Kitchen NGO dismissed 62 of its local staff members in the Gaza Strip—more than 10% of its workforce—after Israel said they had links to terrorist groups.
In an internal message, WCK confirmed it had “made changes” after Jerusalem demanded a probe into its hiring practices in the Strip.
A spokesperson confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday that 62 out of its approximate 500 Gaza employees had been let go to “protect our team and our operations.”
The internal message noted that the decision “should not be taken as a conclusion by WCK” that the individuals are affiliated with terrorism, adding that the Israel Defense Forces had not shared its intelligence and “we do not know the basis for Israel’s decision to flag these individuals.”
An Israeli security official said a security review found that 62 WCK staffers had “affiliations and direct connections” with terrorist groups.
“Consequently, senior Israeli officials demanded that WCK terminate the employment of those workers,” the official confirmed to Reuters.
The dismissals came a week after the Israeli Air Force killed terrorist Ahed Azmi Qadi, who participated in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. Qadi was employed by WCK, but was driving an unmarked vehicle at the time of the strike and was not on a designated aid route.
Immediately following the airstrike, WCK denied having knowledge that any of the vehicle’s occupants were linked to the Oct. 7 attacks, and announced a pause in its Gaza operations as a result of the incident.
“We are heartbroken to share that a vehicle carrying World Central Kitchen colleagues was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. At this time, we are working with incomplete information and are urgently seeking more details,” the Washington-based NGO wrote on X.
“Our hearts are with our colleagues and their families in this unimaginable moment,” the organization tweeted.
Some 6,000 terrorists from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah, as well as unaffiliated Palestinian “civilians,” infiltrated the Jewish state on Oct. 7, 2023, murdering some 1,200 people, wounding thousands and kidnapping 250 to Gaza, where 100 are still being held, including 96 from Oct. 7.