Family of British aid worker killed in Gaza claims Israeli strike was ‘inhumane act’
The family of John Chapman, a British aid worker killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza, claims it was an “inhumane act”.
Chapman was one of three Britons killed in the attack against a Gaza aid convoy. All three were volunteering for World Central Kitchen (WCK), a charity providing meals to Palestinians.
His family said in a statement: “We are devastated to have lost John, who was killed in Gaza. He died trying to help people and was subject to an inhumane act. He was an incredible father, husband, son and brother.
“We request we be given space and time to grieve appropriately. He was loved by many and will forever be a hero. He will be missed dearly.”
The other two Britons were named as James Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47.
Five others were killed in the attack in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) attack.
The group from WCK had been travelling through the city of Deir al-Balah when their car was hit by a missile – “despite coordinating movements with the IDF”, according to the agency.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that the Israeli military hit “innocent people” and described it as “unintentional”.
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WCK’s founder José Andrés called on Israel to stop using food as a “weapon of war”.
Writing in the New York Times, Andrés said: “Israel is better than the way this war is being waged. It is better than blocking food and medicine to civilians. It is better than killing aid workers who had coordinated their movements with the Israel Defence Forces.”
He continued: “The Israeli government needs to open more land routes for food and medicine today. It needs to stop killing civilians and aid workers today. It needs to start the long journey to peace today.”
Rishi Sunak said he was “shocked and saddened” by the incident and sent his thoughts to the friends and families of the victims.
“There are questions that must be answered,” Sunak told reporters yesterday, calling for an investigation.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron also called on Israel to “immediately investigate” the deaths, adding that the Government wanted “a full, transparent explanation of what happened”.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said of the incident: “We are committed to examining our operations thoroughly and transparently. For the last few months, the IDF has been working closely with the World Central Kitchen to assist them in fulfilling their noble mission of helping bring food and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
“W.K. also came to help Israelis after the massacre of October 7. They were one of the first NGOs here. The work of W.K. is critical. They are the frontlines of humanity. We will get to the bottom of this, and we will share our findings transparently.”