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By Tom O'Connor
Deputy Editor, National Security and Foreign Policy
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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recently conducted a deadly strike targeting what it said were armed individuals posing as staff for an international organization dedicated to providing food relief.
The news came as the IDF has sought to push back against a global outcry over the killing of civilian workers in the Gaza Strip, alleging some of them were affiliated with Hamas and other armed factions. Israel has been condemned for its recent killing of an Al Jazeera journalist, whom the IDF claimed was a member of Hamas, along with his crew.
The Israeli military official told reporters Tuesday that the newly revealed incident involved fighters posing as personnel of the Washington, D.C.-based World Central Kitchen (WCK) and occurred over the weekend after Israeli troops identified a gathering of "a few dozen" armed individuals traveling near an IDF post in Gaza.
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The Israeli forces then observed a parked vehicle bearing World Central Kitchen insignia, prompting Israeli personnel to contact the food security organization to verify that the individuals were not affiliated with the group, which has since confirmed the Israeli account.
The Israeli military official described the situation as one of "armed men in southern Gaza, near an IDF post, posing as humanitarian workers, knowing that the IDF will be much more careful when we see them."
"We were able to verify in real time with the WCK that this, in fact, is not related to their organization, and is, in fact, a fake vehicle," the Israeli military official said. "And still, we waited for the people to leave the vehicle."
"We were waiting for another identification in real time of the same people to see again that they are still the same people, still armed people," the Israeli military official added. "We waited for them to get out of the car, and then we went forward and eliminated those armed men who were near our troops."
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What We Know
The Israeli military official told Newsweek that the IDF was not yet able to determine whether the armed individuals were members of Hamas or any other militant group operating in Gaza.
"I'm unable to say they are directly connected to Hamas," the Israeli official said. "We're very careful when we say [there is a] connection, to which organization. We want to be able to verify and have concrete connection when we speak, and be very responsible with the information we put out."
The IDF later issued a statement announcing the strike.
"In a targeted airstrike last week, five armed terrorists were eliminated while near a vehicle marked with the emblem of the international humanitarian aid organization 'World Central Kitchen' (WCK), despite having no affiliation with the organization, and while posing a threat to our troops," the IDF said.
"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 added.
What Is World Central Kitchen?
World Central Kitchen, founded in 2010 by Spanish American chef and restauranteur José Andrés, operates to provide food relief in areas of crisis around the world, including conflict zones such as Ukraine and Gaza.
In a comment shared with Newsweek, a spokesperson for World Central Kitchen confirmed that Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) had contacted the organization prior to the strike and that the armed individuals were determined to not be members of World Central Kitchen.
"World Central Kitchen was contacted by COGAT, and confirmed the vehicle and persons of interest were not affiliated with World Central Kitchen," the spokesperson told Newsweek.
"We strongly condemn anyone posing as World Central Kitchen or other humanitarians, as this endangers civilians and aid workers," the spokesperson added. "The safety and security of our teams are our top priority."
Late last month, The New York Times published an op-ed by Andrés titled "The World Cannot Stand By With Gaza on the Brink of Famine." In it, he disputed Israel's claims of Hamas looting humanitarian aid convoys and criticized what he called a "blockade" imposed by Israel against sufficient levels of food entering Gaza.
Days later, World Central Kitchen published an article confirming that it was once again "getting some ingredients and supplies into Gaza we are using to cook for vulnerable families and medical facilities in the community of Deir Al-Balah," near where the deadly incident involving Israeli forces and armed fighters was said to have occurred.
Caught in Crossfire
News of the incident comes just two days after the IDF announced the killing of a prominent Al Jazeera journalist, Anas Al-Sharif, in strikes targeting Gaza City on Sunday. The IDF claimed that Sharif had covertly operated as part of the "Hamas East Jabaliya Battalion" that was responsible for rocket attacks.
The IDF sought to prove Sharif's affiliation by providing documents said to have been obtained in Gaza purportedly showing his rank, salary, military ID and other information.
Al Jazeera has rejected this claim and a number of international organizations, including the United Nations and the Committee to Protect Journalists have condemned the strike.
Israel has previously acknowledged fault in targeting World Central Kitchen staff in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the killing of seven aid workers by Israeli drone fire in April 2024 "a tragic event in which our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants in the Gaza Strip."
"This happens in war," Netanyahu said at the time. "We are conducting a thorough inquiry and are in contact with the governments. We will do everything to prevent a recurrence."
When another Israeli strike killed at least three World Central Kitchen workers in November, the IDF asserted that the target of the operation was a member of Hamas and called on the organization to investigate its employees.
Hamas also stands accused of targeting humanitarian personnel. The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation issued a statement in late June regarding what it called "credible reports" that Hamas was placing bounties on the organization's staff and U.S. security personnel tasked with protecting them.
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