World Central Kitchen: 7 workers killed in airstrike identified; Pres. Biden releases statement

WASHINGTON - Friends, family, and world leaders are mourning the deaths of Saif Issam Abu Taha, Lalzawmi "Zomi" Frankcom, Damian Soból, Jacob Flickinger, John Chapman, James Henderson, and James Kirby – the World Central Kitchen humanitarian aid workers killed during Israeli airstrikes in Gaza while delivering food to besieged Palestinians. 

President Joe Biden said he was "outraged and heartbroken" by their deaths. "Even more tragically, this is not a stand-alone incident. This conflict has been one of the worst in recent memory in terms of how many aid workers have been killed," Biden said. "This is a major reason why distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza has been so difficult – because Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians."

According to Egypt state media, the bodies of six of the workers killed have been transported out of Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the "unintended strike ... on innocent people" and said officials would work to ensure it does not happen again.

Celebrity chef José Andrés, who founded the World Central Kitchen charity, said he was "heartbroken" by their deaths. "The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

World Central Kitchen and several other humanitarian aid organizations suspended operations in Gaza following the strikes.

The World Central Kitchen workers killed were three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national, an American-Canadian dual citizen and a Palestinian Here’s what we know about them according to the Associated Press.

SAIF ISSAM ABU TAHA

Saif Issam Abu Taha, 27, had worked for World Central Kitchen as a driver and translator since the beginning of the year, relatives said.

His brothers described him as a dedicated young man eager to help fellow Palestinians.

He’d also been a successful businessman who conducted trade with Ukraine, Egypt, China and others, brother Abdul Razzaq Abu Taha said. His work made him known on the Israeli side, his brother added, which helped in coordination and approval to assist the World Central Kitchen team in unloading the ship.

Saif had hoped to get married. "My mother was looking for a wife for him," Abdul Razzaq Abu Taha said. "He was supposed to get married if the war didn’t happen."

Saif and other workers were excited about unloading the food aid, desperately needed in Gaza. The last time Saif and his brother spoke, he said, they’d finished the job and he was heading home.

After hearing about the airstrikes, Abdul Razzaq Abu Taha said he tried to call to see whether Saif was OK.

After many attempts, he said, a stranger answered and told him, "I found this phone about 200 meters away from the car. All of the people inside are killed."

LALZAWMI ‘ZOMI’ FRANKCOM

Friends and family remembered Lalzawmi "Zomi" Frankcom, 43, as a brave, selfless woman whose care for others drew her across the globe. For the last five years, she’d worked for Washington-based World Central Kitchen, taking her to the U.S., Thailand and her native Australia.

"We mourn this fine Australian who has a record of helping out her fellow citizens, whether it be internationally or whether it be through the support that she gave during the bushfires that occurred during that Black Summer," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp. "She is someone who clearly was concerned about her fellow humanity."

In a statement, relatives described Frankcom as an "outstanding human being" who was "killed doing the work she loves delivering food to the people of Gaza."

She was born in Melbourne and earned a bachelor’s from the Swinburne University of Technology. For eight years, she worked for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the nation’s largest bank.

READ MORE: World Central Kitchen worker killed in Israeli airstrike was a dedicated humanitarian, friends say

Frankcom’s social media highlighted visits to help those in need in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Romania and Haiti.

World Central Kitchen colleague Dora Weekley, who met Frankcom responding to Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas in 2019, described Frankcom as "larger than life."

She recalled when Frankcom was invited to walk a Hollywood red carpet, for a documentary about World Central Kitchen that was nominated for an Emmy.

"I remember getting a picture of her in a dress, saying, ‘Hold onto this forever,’" Weekley told ABC. "Because usually I’m in sweats and runners, and I’m in Pakistan or Afghanistan or, you know, she could be anywhere, and never with her hair done or makeup done.

"She worked all hours, she gave everything, and she believed in helping people who were less fortunate."

DAMIAN SOBÓL

Damian Soból, 36, was known as a cheerful, friendly and resourceful manager who quickly rose in World Central Kitchen’s ranks.

Hailing from the southeastern Polish city of Przemyśl and studying hospitality there, Soból had been on aid missions in Ukraine, Morocco, Turkey and, for the past six months, Gaza.

"He was a really extraordinary guy," said Marta Wilczynska, of the Free Place Foundation, which cooperates with World Central Kitchen. "We were very proud of him."

Wilczynska met Soból on the Polish side of the border with Ukraine, a few days after Russia’s February 2022 invasion. He spoke English well and was a translator, and as a skilled manager, he could organize work in any condition, she said.

"Always smiling, always so helpful, he loved this job. I felt I had a brother in him," Wilczynska said.

Free Place Foundation President Mikolaj Rykowski said Soból was "the man for every task — he could overcome every difficulty."

Posting on Facebook, Przemyśl Mayor Wojciech Bakun said of Soból’s death that there are "no words to describe how people who knew this fantastic young man feel now."

JACOB FLICKINGER

Jacob Flickinger, 33, was an American-Canadian dual citizen. He was part of the World Central Kitchen Relief Team. "These are the heroes of WCK. These 7 beautiful souls were killed by the IDF in a strike as they were returning from a full day's mission," said WCK CEO Erin Gore in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "Their smiles, laughter, and voices are forever embedded in our memories."

JOHN CHAPMAN, JAMES HENDERSON AND JAMES KIRBY

The three British victims were military veterans providing security for the World Central Kitchen aid mission.

British media reported that Chapman, 57, and Kirby, 47, were former Royal Marines, while 33-year-old Henderson, known as Jim, was a British Army veteran.

Read the full statement from President Joe Biden on the deaths of World Central Kitchen workers (released on Tuesday, April 2):

"I am outraged and heartbroken by the deaths of seven humanitarian workers from World Central Kitchen, including one American, in Gaza yesterday. They were providing food to hungry civilians in the middle of a war. They were brave and selfless. Their deaths are a tragedy.

Israel has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into why the aid workers’ vehicles were hit by airstrikes. That investigation must be swift, it must bring accountability, and its findings must be made public. 

Even more tragically, this is not a stand-alone incident. This conflict has been one of the worst in recent memory in terms of how many aid workers have been killed. This is a major reason why distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza has been so difficult – because Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians. Incidents like yesterday’s simply should not happen. Israel has also not done enough to protect civilians. The United States has repeatedly urged Israel to deconflict their military operations against Hamas with humanitarian operations, in order to avoid civilian casualties. 

The United States will continue to do all we can to deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, through all available means. I will continue to press Israel to do more to facilitate that aid. And we are pushing hard for an immediate ceasefire as part of a hostage deal. I have a team in Cairo working on this right now.

Earlier today, I spoke with my friend Chef José Andrés, the founder of World Central Kitchen, to convey my deepest condolences for the deaths of these courageous aid workers and to express my continued support for his and his team’s relentless and heroic efforts to get food to hungry people around the globe. 

May God bless the humanitarian workers killed yesterday and comfort their families and loved ones in their grief.

President Joe Biden"

The Associated Press contributed to this report