The Israeli airstrikes that led to the deaths of seven aid workers in Gaza had a widespread impact, with loved ones mourning the loss of those who were bringing food to besieged Palestinians with the charity World Central Kitchen.
Among those killed were three Britons, 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's some information about the individuals who died.
Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha
Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25, had been employed as a driver and interpreter for World Central Kitchen since the start of the year, according to his relatives.
His brothers described him as a committed young man who was keen to assist fellow Palestinians.
He had also found success as a businessman engaged in trade with Ukraine, Egypt, China, and other countries, as mentioned by his brother Abdul Razzaq Abutaha. His business connections had made him known on the Israeli side, facilitating coordination and approval for the World Central Kitchen team to unload the ship.
Saifeddin had plans to get married. Abdul Razzaq Abu Taha said, “My mother was looking for a wife for him. He was supposed to get married if the war didn’t happen.”
Saifeddin and other workers were looking forward to unloading the much-needed food aid in Gaza. During their last conversation, he informed his brother that they had completed the task and he was on his way home.
After learning of the airstrikes, Abdul Razzaq Abutaha attempted to reach Saifeddin to check on his well-being.
After several efforts, a stranger eventually answered and informed him, “I found this phone about 200 meters away from the car. All of the people inside are killed.”
Lalzawmi ‘Zomi’ Frankcom
Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom, 43, was remembered by friends and family as a courageous, selfless woman whose compassion for others took her around the world. Over the past five years, she had been working for the Washington-based World Central Kitchen, with assignments in the U.S., Thailand, and her home country of Australia.
“We mourn this outstanding Australian who has a history of assisting her fellow citizens, both internationally and during the bushfires that took place during that Black Summer,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese conveyed to the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “She is someone who clearly cared about her fellow human beings.”
Relatives described Frankcom as an “exceptional person” who was “killed while doing the work she loved, delivering food to the people of Gaza.”
She was born in Melbourne and obtained a bachelor's degree from Swinburne University of Technology. She also spent eight years working for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the country’s largest bank.
Frankcom’s social media accounts showcased her visits to provide assistance in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Romania, and Haiti.
Dora Weekley, a colleague at World Central Kitchen who met Frankcom while assisting with Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas in 2019, described her as “extraordinary.”
She recollected when Frankcom was invited to attend a Hollywood red carpet event for a documentary about World Central Kitchen, which was nominated for an Emmy.
“I recall receiving a photo of her in a dress, telling me to cherish it forever,” Weekley told ABC. “Because typically I'm in comfortable clothes and sneakers, and I'm in Pakistan or Afghanistan or, you know, she could be anywhere, and never looking fancy with her hair and makeup done.
“She worked tirelessly, she gave her all, and she believed in assisting people who were less fortunate.”
Damian Soból
Damian Soból, 35, was known as a cheerful, friendly and resourceful manager who quickly advanced in World Central Kitchen’s ranks.
Coming 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 remarkable 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 cousin Amy Roxburgh-Barry called him an “all-round gentleman” who was planning to give his mother and aunt a surprise cruise after he returned from Gaza.
“It’s just devastating that he’s fought in these wars and come home with not a scratch, and then he goes out to do something helpful, and that’s what happens,” she told Sky News.
Chapman, 57, was a Royal Marines veteran whose family said in a statement that they were devastated to lose him.
“He died trying to help people and was subject to an inhumane act,” they said. “He was an incredible father, husband, son and brother.”
Henderson, who was 33 and known as Jim, was a former Royal Marine from Cornwall in southwest England, news outlets there reported. Sky News reported that he was due to leave Gaza on Monday, the day he was killed.
Jacob Flickinger
Jacob Flickinger was a 33-year-old dual citizen of the United States and Canada.
He served for more than 10 years in the Canadian Armed Forces and was deployed to Afghanistan, the military said in a statement.
A GoFundMe page raising money to help his family said he had a partner and 1-year-old son at home.
His mother, Sylvie Labrecque, told The Associated Press that she recently lost her son, who was very dedicated to this type of work and had a wild but intense and smart personality.
Labrecque, who is Canadian, shared that Jacob had an American father, and she wanted to bring him up in rural Quebec after parting ways with his father following ten years in New York and Miami.
She mentioned that Jacob's grandfather died in World War II fighting for the United States at a similar age.
She also mentioned that he is survived by a grieving 22-year-old girlfriend in Costa Rica.
Labrecque expressed her belief that the IDF intentionally targeted his aid convoy.
Reports from Acapulco, Mexico, revealed that Flickinger was part of the team that provided assistance to the community after Hurricane Otis hit the Pacific coast last autumn.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the unacceptable death of the aid worker who was delivering food to people in need.
Trudeau called for an explanation from Israel on the deaths of the aid workers in Gaza, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the safety of aid workers in the region.
