Pictured: British help employee killed alongside two different UK volunteers in Israeli air strike on Gaza meals convoy, prompting Rishi Sunak fury

James Henderson has been named as the primary of three British staff killed in an Israeli drone assault on a meals help convoy in Gaza yesterday.

Henderson, 33, was travelling in a clearly marked automobile operated by World Central Kitchen (WCK), a charity offering meals to Palestinians within the war-torn enclave, when the convoy was hit with three missiles fired by an IDF drone. 

Neighbours in Falmouth, Cornwall, advised MailOnline the Briton was a former particular forces operator and mentioned his household have been solely knowledgeable of his loss of life on Tuesday morning, a day after he was killed. 

A detailed good friend mentioned: ‘Everyone is gutted, he was a stunning lad. He hadn’t been on the market lengthy, solely a few weeks.’

‘The group he was working for broke the information to the household this morning.’

Henderson was additionally a member of the Royal Marines for six years in line with his LinkedIn profile. Following his exit from the navy in 2016, he had labored a collection of shut private safety jobs earlier than volunteering to work with WCK.

Henderson was amongst seven folks, together with two different Brits, who have been killed within the Israeli assault on the convoy because it travelled alongside Al-Rashid highway between Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis in central Gaza.

The opposite British victims are but to be recognized. 

It comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted his forces carried out the drone strikes and insisted that officers ‘will do all the things for this to not occur once more’.

Hours earlier, his British counterpart Rishi Sunak and International Secretary David Cameron demanded a right away investigation into the deaths and a ‘full, clear rationalization’. 

‘There are questions that have to be answered,’ Sunak advised reporters at this time, including he was ‘deeply shocked and saddened’ by the information.

Horrific pictures confirmed how an enormous gap had been blown within the roof of 1 automobile, with the automobile’s inside torn to shreds by the drive of the blast. 

One other automobile was lacking most of its rear finish after being hit by the Israeli munitions, with charred particles littering the roadside in harrowing pictures. 

Bloodstains have been clearly seen spattered throughout the white paint of the help autos.

Writing on X, International Secretary Lord Cameron mentioned: ‘British Nationals are reported to have been killed, we’re urgently working to confirm this info and can present full assist to their households.

‘It’s important that humanitarian staff are protected and in a position to perform their work. We have now known as on Israel to instantly examine and supply a full, clear rationalization of what occurred.’

World Central Kitchen (WCK) mentioned in an announcement that seven help staff from the UK, Australia, Poland, twin residents of the US and Canada, and Palestine have been killed whereas travelling in a deconflicted zone.

The employees had simply crossed in from the north after serving to ship help that had arrived hours earlier on a ship from Cyprus, sources have claimed.

Harrowing footage shared on-line appeared to indicate the our bodies of the lifeless at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. A number of of them wore protecting gear with the charity’s brand.

In feedback to journalists this morning, Prime Minister Sunak mentioned: ‘We’re asking Israel to analyze what occurred urgently, as a result of clearly there are questions that must be answered.’

Mr Sunak added: ‘My ideas are with their family and friends.

‘They’re doing unbelievable work bringing alleviation to the struggling that many are experiencing in Gaza.

‘They need to be praised and recommended for what they’re doing.

‘They must be allowed to do this work unhindered and it’s incumbent on Israel to verify they will do this.’

The IDF mentioned it has launched a probe into the incident on the ‘highest ranges’ and reiterated that it has been ‘working intently’ with the charity, but in addition ‘makes in depth efforts to allow the secure supply of humanitarian help’. 

IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari later mentioned in an announcement that he had ‘expressed the deepest condolences of the Israel Defence Forces to the households and your entire World Central Kitchen household’.

‘We will likely be opening a probe to look at this critical incident additional.

‘This may assist us scale back the danger of such an occasion from occurring once more.

‘The incident will likely be investigated within the Truth Discovering and Evaluation Mechanism: an unbiased, skilled, and professional physique.’

WCK CEO Erin Gore mentioned this morning: ‘This isn’t solely an assault towards WCK, that is an assault on humanitarian organisations exhibiting up in probably the most dire of conditions the place meals is getting used as a weapon of struggle. That is unforgivable.

‘I’m heartbroken and appalled that we—World Central Kitchen and the world—misplaced lovely lives at this time due to a focused assault by the IDF. 

‘The love that they had for feeding folks, the dedication they embodied to indicate that humanity rises above all, and the influence they made in numerous lives will perpetually be remembered and cherished.’

The Australian sufferer was named this morning as Lalzawmi ‘Zomi’ Frankcom, 44, from Melbourne, whereas the Polish sufferer was named as Damian Sobol.

For the reason that October begin of the struggle, World Central Kitchen has been concerned in aid efforts, together with supplying meals to hunger-stricken Gaza.

It’s considered one of two NGOs spearheading efforts to ship help to Gaza by boat from Cyprus and was additionally concerned within the development of a short lived jetty.

The group has arrange two major kitchens within the southern metropolis of Rafah and the central city of Deir al-Balah. It lends assist to 68 neighborhood kitchens all through the territory, serving greater than 170,000 scorching meals a day. 

WCK has described the lack of life as a ‘tragedy’ and, in an announcement posted on-line, mentioned ‘humanitarian help staff and civilians ought to NEVER be a goal. EVER’.

Its assertion mentioned the crew was travelling in two armoured vehicles ‘branded with the WCK brand and a delicate pores and skin automobile.’

It added: ‘Regardless of coordinating actions with the IDF, the convoy was hit because it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, the place the crew had unloaded greater than 100 tons of humanitarian meals help delivered to Gaza on the maritime route.’

Gaza medical officers mentioned earlier an obvious Israeli airstrike killed 4 worldwide help staff with the US-based worldwide help charity and their Palestinian driver.

The automobile was hit by an Israeli strike simply after crossing from northern Gaza, Mahmoud Thabet, a paramedic from the Palestinian Pink Crescent who was on the crew that introduced the our bodies to the hospital, has claimed.

Video posted to social media additionally reveals workers displaying the passports of three of the lifeless – British, Australian and Polish.

Their our bodies could possibly be seen within the background wrapped in physique luggage and sporting armour marked with the World Central Kitchen brand.

The supply of strike couldn’t be independently confirmed, however IDF will likely be ‘conducting a radical evaluate’ of the strike, Israel Nationwide Information reported.

The Israeli military, in an announcement, mentioned: ‘Following the experiences concerning the World Central Kitchen personnel in Gaza at this time, the IDF is conducting a radical evaluate on the highest ranges to know the circumstances of this tragic incident.

‘The IDF makes in depth efforts to allow the secure supply of humanitarian help, and has been working intently with WCK of their very important efforts to supply meals and humanitarian help to the folks of Gaza.’

In Britain, a Cupboard minister mentioned the Authorities is ‘very, very involved’ by experiences {that a} British help employee has been killed in Gaza.

Gillian Keegan, the Training Secretary, advised the BBC: ‘We’ve not had it confirmed but, however we’re very, very involved by the state of affairs.

‘We do know that we have urged Israel to do extra to guard civilians, but in addition to permit help to get into Gaza.

‘However we have not but had this confirmed and I feel the IDF are reviewing this, most likely as we converse.’

She added it was ‘worrying’ that the charity World Central Kitchen had suspended its work in Gaza.

She mentioned: ‘One of many key issues is making an attempt to make sure we get extra help into Gaza, so if one of many charities engaged on the bottom has suspended, then that is clearly deeply regarding.’

Ms Keegan added: ‘Our ideas would go to all people affected.’

James Elder, spokesman for the United Nation’s Youngsters’s Fund (Unicef), mentioned the help employee deaths underlined how harmful the state of affairs in Gaza has change into.

He advised the BBC Radio 4 As we speak programme: ‘It’s completely horrifying. These folks had been unloading one thing like 100 tonnes of humanitarian meals help at this most crucial junction after they have been saving lives day in, time out.

Describing it as an ‘immense tragedy’, Mr Elder mentioned the incident ‘underscores the horrendous circumstances everybody continues to endure in Gaza, however it’s simply such a mindless lack of life’.

He added: ‘This has been probably the most harmful locations in residing reminiscence to function, Gaza is breaking too many bleak information – numbers of youngsters killed, variety of folks dealing with catastrophic starvation, file displacement, worst devastation to houses in residing reminiscence and largest variety of United Nations colleagues killed because it was created.’

The help ships that arrived Monday carried some 400 tons of meals and provides in a cargo organized by the United Arab Emirates and the World Central Kitchen, the charity based by celeb chef José Andrés.

Final month a ship delivered 200 tons of help in a pilot run. The Israeli navy was concerned in coordinating each deliveries.

The US has touted the ocean route as a brand new strategy to ship desperately wanted help to northern Gaza, the place a number of hundred Palestinians face imminent famine, largely reduce off from the remainder of the territory by Israeli forces .

Israel has barred UNRWA, the principle UN company in Gaza, from making deliveries to the north , and different help teams say sending truck convoys north has been too harmful due to the navy’s failure to make sure secure passage.

The airstrike comes after the Israeli navy withdrew from Gaza’s largest hospital early Monday after a two-week raid that engulfed the ability and surrounding districts in combating. 

Footage confirmed widespread devastation, with the ability’s major buildings decreased to burned-out husks.

The navy has described the raid on Shifa Hospital as a serious battlefield victory within the almost six-month struggle, and officers mentioned Israeli troops killed 200 militants within the operation, although the declare that they have been all militants couldn’t be confirmed.

The raid got here at a time of mounting frustration in Israel, with tens of 1000’s protesting Sunday towards Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and demanding that he do extra to carry house dozens of hostages held in Gaza. It was the biggest anti-government demonstration because the begin of the struggle.

Elsewhere, Syrian officers and state media mentioned an Israeli airstrike destroyed the Iran’s consulate in Syria, killing two Iranian generals and 5 officers.

The strike seems to indicate an escalation of Israel’s concentrating on of Iranian navy officers and their allies in Syria. The concentrating on has intensified since Hamas militants – who’re supported by Iran – attacked Israel on October 7.

Whereas Iran’s consular constructing was levelled within the assault, in line with Syria’s SANA state information company, its major embassy constructing remained intact.

Israel, which hardly ever acknowledges such strikes, mentioned it had no remark. Iran’s ambassador, Hossein Akbari, vowed revenge for the assault ‘on the similar magnitude and harshness.’

The struggle started on October 7 when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 folks, principally civilians, and taking round 250 folks hostage.

Israel responded with an air, land and sea offensive that has killed at the least 32,845 Palestinians, round two-thirds of them girls and kids, in line with Gaza’s Well being Ministry. 

The ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its rely. 

The Israeli navy blames the civilian toll on Palestinian militants as a result of they struggle in dense residential areas.

The struggle has displaced a lot of the territory’s inhabitants and pushed a 3rd of its residents to the brink of famine. 

Northern Gaza, the place Shifa is situated, has suffered huge destruction and has been largely remoted since October, resulting in widespread starvation.

Netanyahu has vowed to maintain up the offensive till Hamas is destroyed and all hostages are freed. 

He says Israel will quickly develop floor operations to the southern metropolis of Rafah, the place some 1.4 million folks – greater than half of Gaza’s inhabitants – have sought refuge.

However he faces mounting stress from Israelis who blame him for the safety failures of October 7 and from some households of the hostages who blame him for the failure to succeed in a deal regardless of a number of weeks of talks mediated by america, Qatar and Egypt. 

Allied international locations, together with major backer america, have warned him towards an invasion of Rafah.

Hamas and different militants are nonetheless believed to be holding some 100 hostages and the stays of 30 others, after releasing a lot of the relaxation throughout a cease-fire final November in change for the discharge of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.