An Israeli air strike on a vehicle in Gaza has reportedly killed five people, including staff from aid organisation World Central Kitchen (WCK), with Israel's military claiming it was targeting a Hamas "terrorist" involved in the October 7 terrorist attacks.
But the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they could not link Hamzi Kadih, one of the aid workers with WCF, with any specific attempt to take Israeli hostages.
WCK said it had "no knowledge that any individual in the vehicle had alleged ties to the October 7th Hamas attack", and Saturday's strike had forced it to suspend its operations in Gaza — the second time it has done so this year.
Earlier this year, an Israeli attack on a WCK convoy killed seven people including Australian woman Zomi Frankcom.
The incident forced an internal investigation within the IDF — which said it was a result of a "misidentification" of a convoy — and a probe by the Australian government into the circumstances leading to the strike and the Israeli response to the incident.
This time, the IDF said it was specifically targeting the vehicle that was hit.
"The terrorist, Hazmi Kadih, infiltrated Israel and took part in the murderous October 7th massacre in Kibbutz Nir Oz," the IDF said in a statement.
"The IDF and [Israel Security Agency] will continue to operate to locate and eliminate terrorists who conduct terrorist activities against the civilians of Israel and those involved in the murderous October 7th massacre.
"We emphasize that according to current information, it is not possible to link the terrorist to a specific abduction attempt."
The Israeli government agency which coordinates operations in Gaza, COGAT, said it would be asking WCK to investigate how it hired staff it alleged were involved in the attacks on Israel, which were the catalyst for the war against Hamas in Gaza.
"The COGAT repeatedly calls for the international organizations that operate in the Gaza Strip to provide the Israeli authorities with details of the local employees that are hired by them in the Gaza Strip, to ensure that terrorists are not making use of the Humanitarian realm," the IDF said in a statement.
WCK said it was "heartbroken" as a result of its staff being killed in an Israeli air strike.
"At this time, we are working with incomplete information and are urgently seeking more details," the organisation said in a statement.
"World Central Kitchen is pausing operations in Gaza at this time.
"Our hearts are with our colleagues and their families in this unimaginable moment."
Mr Kadih's family said the Israeli allegations were false and meant to justify his unlawful killing. They said he was an engineer who dedicated his life to charitable work.
Unverified video circulating on social media shows the wreckage of a white SUV in Gaza which is said to be the vehicle hit by the Israeli strike.
Local journalists have said WCK staff and two bystanders were killed in the attack.
Israeli authorities have been criticised for their dealings with aid agencies in Gaza.
Among the concerns, humanitarian organisations have accused the IDF of failing to halt air strikes in areas where aid workers have been operating, and failing to protect convoys distributing aid into the hardest hit parts of Gaza.
In September, Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong called for a new United Nations declaration for the protection of aid workers, describing Gaza as the "deadliest place on earth to be an aid worker."
