Gaza City: Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on Saturday killed two aid workers, as tensions escalated amid ongoing conflict. The Israeli military stated that one of the deceased, Ahed Azmi Qdeih, a member of the World Central Kitchen team, was a militant involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. The military claimed Qdeih participated in the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz and had been under surveillance but did not present evidence supporting these allegations.
Qdeih’s family denied the claims, describing him as an engineer devoted to charitable work. World Central Kitchen confirmed the airstrike on a vehicle carrying its staff but rejected any knowledge of an employee’s involvement in the Hamas attack. “We are heartbroken to share that a vehicle carrying World Central Kitchen colleagues was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza,” the organization said in a statement on X.
The charity announced a temporary suspension of its Gaza operations as it seeks further information. While the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported three World Central Kitchen staff were killed in the strike, Gaza medics said five individuals lost their lives.
Later, Save the Children issued a statement mourning the death of Ahmad Faisal Isleem Al-Qadi, a 39-year-old staff member, in an airstrike in Khan Younis. Inger Ashing, Save the Children’s chief executive, expressed grief, saying, “There are not strong enough words to express the grief and outrage we feel at the loss of Ahmad in an Israeli airstrike.”
It remains unclear whether Qdeih and Al-Qadi were killed in the same strike. Israel has not commented on Save the Children’s statement.
In another attack in Khan Younis, medics reported nine fatalities when an airstrike struck a car near a crowd distributing flour. This vehicle was reportedly used by security personnel overseeing aid deliveries. Gaza medics also reported 32 deaths from airstrikes across the enclave overnight and into Saturday.
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Efforts Toward a Ceasefire
As violence persists, Hamas leaders arrived in Cairo on Saturday for ceasefire discussions with Egyptian officials. This development follows the U.S.’s announcement of renewed ceasefire efforts involving Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey.
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Hamas seeks a deal that could include a prisoner exchange, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists the war will only end with Hamas’s eradication. The conflict, which began over 13 months ago with Hamas-led attacks on southern Israeli communities, has caused immense devastation in Gaza. Gaza officials report at least 44,382 deaths and widespread displacement of the population.
