Israeli bombings that led to the deaths of seven aid workers in Gaza were felt around the world, as loved ones grieved the losses of those who were providing food to besieged Palestinians with the organization World Central Kitchen.
Those who died included three British citizens, an Australian, a Polish citizen, an American-Canadian dual citizen, and a Palestinian. Some had traveled the world, participating in aid efforts following wars, earthquakes, and wildfires.
Here is some information about those who were killed.
SAIFEDDIN ISSAM AYAD ABUTAHA
Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25, had worked as a driver and translator for World Central Kitchen since the beginning of the year, according to relatives.
His brothers described him as a committed young man eager to assist fellow Palestinians.
He was also a successful businessman who traded with Ukraine, Egypt, China, and other countries, his brother Abdul Razzaq Abutaha said. His work made him known on the Israeli side, his brother added, which helped in coordinating and obtaining approval to assist the World Central Kitchen team in unloading the ship.
Saifeddin 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.”
Saifeddin and other workers were enthusiastic about unloading the food aid, critically needed in Gaza. The last time Saifeddin and his brother spoke, he said, they’d finished the job and he was heading home.
After hearing about the airstrikes, Abdul Razzaq Abutaha said he tried to call to see whether Saifeddin was OK.
After numerous 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 courageous, selfless woman whose care for others led her to various parts of the world. For the past five years, she had worked for Washington-based World Central Kitchen, taking her to the U.S., Thailand, and her native Australia.
“We mourn this admirable Australian who has a history of helping her fellow citizens, whether internationally or through the support she provided during the fires in the bushes that took place during that Black Summer,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp. “She is someone who clearly was worried about her fellow humanity.”
In a statement, relatives described Frankcom as an “excellent person” who was “killed while 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.
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 her as “larger than life.”
She remembered 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, ‘Keep 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, 35, 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.”
JOHN CHAPMAN, JAMES HENDERSON AND JAMES KIRBY
The three British victims were military veterans who had been in dangerous situations before. They died providing security for the World Central Kitchen aid mission.
Kirby, 47, came from the port city of Bristol in southwest England and served in Bosnia and Afghanistan with the British Army before moving into private security work. According to his LinkedIn profile, he worked as a players’ escort at the 2021 Wimbledon tennis tournament.
Kirby’s relative Amy Roxburgh-Barry referred to him as a "kind and respectable man" who had plans to surprise his mother and aunt with a cruise after returning from Gaza.
She expressed deep sadness that Kirby survived wars unharmed, only to meet a tragic fate while trying to help others.
Chapman, aged 57, was a former member of the Royal Marines, and his family stated that they were devastated by his loss.
They mentioned that he died while attempting to assist people and was subjected to a cruel act. They described him as an exceptional father, husband, son, and brother.
Henderson, also known as Jim, was a former Royal Marine from Cornwall. News sources in southwest England reported that he was scheduled to leave Gaza on the day he was killed.
JACOB FLICKINGER
Jacob Flickinger, 33, was a citizen of both the United States and Canada, and reportedly led the team.
According to a GoFundMe page, Flickinger had a partner and a one-year-old son at home.
In Acapulco, Mexico, restaurants on social media mentioned that Flickinger was part of the team that provided aid to their communities after Hurricane Otis struck the Pacific coast last autumn. Hurricane Otis hit the Pacific coast. the Pacific coast.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly called for a thorough investigation and condemned attacks on humanitarian workers as "completely unacceptable."
During a NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, she reiterated her call for an investigation and stated that she had contacted the Israeli foreign minister. Speaking Wednesday at a NATO meeting, she reiterated the need for an investigation and emphasized that she had reached out to the Israeli foreign minister.
She stated, "Israel must adhere to international humanitarian law, and we will ensure that this is the case.
Corrections to an earlier version of this story include the correct name and age of the Palestinian man, Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, aged 25, and the age of Damian Soból, corrected to 35, based on information from World Central Kitchen and his family.
