A
British aid worker who died after an air strike in
Gaza has been named as a former member of the Royal Marines. James Henderson, of Falmouth in Cornwall, is one of seven international workers from the World Central Kitchen charity who died after the blast during a food delivery late on Monday. Footage showed the bodies of the dead at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah. Several of them wore protective gear with the charity’s logo. Neighbours reportedly provided additional details about the Brit, who once worked as a special forces operator. His family are said to have been informed of his death this morning. He was also a member of the Royal Marines, leaving the
MILITARY in 2016 to pursue close personal security jobs before his voluntary work with the WCK, it has been reported. The other British victims have not been identified. British charity worker among seven killed in 'unforgivable'
Israeli airstrike in Gaza Seven aid workers died in the air strike on Gaza ( Image: MOHAMMED SABER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock) One of his close
Friends told the Mail: "Everybody is gutted, he was a lovely lad. He hadn't been out there long, only a couple of weeks. The group he was working for broke the news to the family this morning." James described his career on his LinkedIn page, calling himself a "military professional, who takes the Health and Safety of others very seriously". Despite his long career in the armed forces, he said his "true vocation lies in security" but in a "civilian position". "A highly disciplined, courteous and proactive individual who is mobile, offers flexibility and Is willing to take on any further training necessary to offer the best service possible," the page reads. The Israeli Defence Forces said it is “carrying out an in-depth examination at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.” The seven killed were from Australia , Poland,
United Kingdom , a dual citizen of the U.S. and
Canada , and Palestine, according to the charity. Speaking on Tuesday, World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore said: “This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable. “I am heartbroken and appalled that we—World Central Kitchen and the world —lost beautiful lives today because of a targeted attack by the IDF. The love they had for feeding people, the determination they embodied to show that humanity rises above all, and the impact they made in countless lives will forever be remembered and cherished.” The charity also confirmed they had immediately suspended operations in the region. Damian Sobol, from Poland, was one of the seven killed Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has called for a “full, transparent explanation” from Israel after an air strike in Gaza left seven aid workers dead, including a British national. He said: “The news of the air strike that killed World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers in Gaza is deeply distressing. “British Nationals are reported to have been killed, we are urgently working to verify this information and will provide full support to their families. These were people who were working to deliver life-saving aid to those who desperately need it. It is essential that humanitarian workers are protected and able to carry out their work. We have called on Israel to immediately investigate and provide a full, transparent explanation of what happened.” The IDF said it is 'carrying out an in-depth examination at the highest levels' ( Image: MOHAMMED SABER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meanwhile said Israel ’s ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon had been asked to explain how 44-year-old Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, from Melbourne, came to be killed in the strike. He told reporters: “This is someone who was volunteering overseas to provide aid through this charity for people who are suffering tremendous deprivation in Gaza. And this is just completely unacceptable.” A statement issued to The Guardian by Ms Frankcom’s family said she died “doing the work she loves”. "We are deeply mourning the news that our brave and beloved Zomi has been killed doing the work she loves, delivering food to the people of Gaza", the family said. A video taken last week had showed her inside a food tent in Gaza, where she was preparing ingredients with head chef Olivier Chastelain de Belleroche. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Play now James Elder, spokesman for the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (Unicef), said the aid worker deaths underlined how dangerous the situation in Gaza has become. He told the
BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “It is utterly horrifying. These people had been unloading something like a hundred tonnes of humanitarian food aid at this most critical junction when they were saving lives day in, day out. Describing it as an “immense tragedy”, Mr Elder said the incident “underscores the horrendous conditions everyone continues to endure in Gaza, but it is just such a senseless loss of life”. He added: “This has been one of the most dangerous places in living memory to operate, Gaza is
BREAKING too many bleak records – numbers of children killed, number of people facing catastrophic hunger, record displacement, worst devastation to homes in living memory and largest number of
United Nations colleagues killed since it was created.” Zomi Frankcom, from Melbourne, also died in the strike Also on Monday, Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard said that seven of its members were killed in an airstrike that struck Iran's consulate in the Syrian capital
Damascus . Syrian officials and state media blamed the attack on Israel. The strike on Iran’s embassy compound would signify an escalation of Israel’s targeting of Iranian military officials and their allies in
Syria, which has intensified since Hamas militants — supported by
Iran — attacked Israel on October 7. This is a breaking news story. Follow us on
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