World Central Kitchen suspends main Gaza kitchen following ‘ongoing attacks’ from Israel

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Global disaster relief program World Central Kitchen announced that it had suspended operations at its main kitchen in Rafah after “ongoing” Israeli attacks.

In a post on X, the group said it was forced to relocate many of its smaller community kitchens to northern Gaza.

As the Israeli military continues to push into Rafah, millions of people have been uprooted from the city.

According to the U.N., Rafah had been crowded with families seeking refuge as Israel’s offensive in Gaza pushed south across the Gaza Strip.

One of the group’s kitchens in the city of Deir al-Balah, where displaced Palestinians are fleeing to now in their latest quest for safety, was serving up the biggest shares of meals, World Central Kitchen said in a separate statement.

The group said 58 of its aid trucks were allowed to enter Gaza since Sunday, allowing them to serve 100,000 meals the day before the announcement.

In April, seven WCK workers were killed in a strike by the Israeli Defense Force. The group had suspended its work in Gaza after the attack, but announced its return to operations in late April.