Israeli airstrikes that killed seven aid workers in Gaza reverberated around the world, as friends and relatives mourned the losses of those who were delivering food to besieged Palestinians with the charity World Central Kitchen.
Killed were three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national, an American-Canadian dual citizen and a Palestinian. Some had traveled the world, participating in aid efforts in the aftermath of wars, earthquakes and wildfires.
Here's some information on those killed.
SAIFEDDIN ISSAM AYAD ABUTAHA
Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25, had worked for World Central Kitchen as a driver and translator since the beginning of the year, relatives said.
His brothers described him as a dedicated young man eager to .
He鈥檇 also been a successful businessman who conducted trade with Ukraine, Egypt, China and others, brother Abdul Razzaq Abutaha said. His work made him known on the Israeli side, his brother added, which helped in coordination and approval to assist the World Central Kitchen team in unloading the ship.
Saifeddin had hoped to get married. 鈥淢y mother was looking for a wife for him,鈥 Abdul Razzaq Abu Taha said. 鈥淗e was supposed to get married if didn鈥檛 happen.鈥
Saifeddin and other workers were excited the , in Gaza. The last time Saifeddin and his brother spoke, he said, they鈥檇 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 many attempts, he said, a stranger answered and told him, 鈥淚 found this phone about 200 meters away from the car. All of the people inside are killed.鈥
LALZAWMI 'ZOMI' FRANKCOM
Friends and family remembered Lalzawmi 鈥淶omi鈥 Frankcom, 43, as a brave, selfless woman whose care for others drew her across the globe. For the last five years, she'd worked for Washington-based World Central Kitchen, taking her to the U.S., Thailand and her native Australia.
鈥淲e mourn this fine Australian who has a record of helping out her fellow citizens, whether it be internationally or whether it be through the support that she gave during that occurred during ,鈥 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp. 鈥淪he is someone who clearly was concerned about her fellow humanity.鈥
In a statement, relatives described Frankcom as an 鈥渙utstanding human being" who was "killed doing the work she loves delivering food to the people of Gaza.鈥
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鈥檚 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 鈥渓arger than life.鈥
She recalled when Frankcom was invited to walk a Hollywood red carpet, for a documentary about World Central Kitchen that was nominated for an Emmy.
鈥淚 remember getting a picture of her in a dress, saying, 鈥楬old onto this forever,鈥" Weekley told ABC. "Because usually I鈥檓 in sweats and runners, and I鈥檓 in Pakistan or Afghanistan or, you know, she could be anywhere, and never with her hair done or makeup done.
鈥淪he worked all hours, she gave everything, and she believed in helping people who were less fortunate."
DAMIAN SOB脫L
Damian Sob贸l, 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 Przemy艣l and studying hospitality there, Sob贸l had been on aid missions in Ukraine, Morocco, Turkey and, for the past six months, Gaza.
鈥滺e 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.鈥
Wilczynska met Sob贸l on the Polish side of the border with Ukraine, a few days after . He spoke English well and was a translator, and as a skilled manager, he could organize work in any condition, she said.
鈥淎lways smiling, always so helpful, he loved this job. I felt I had a brother in him,鈥 Wilczynska said.
Free Place Foundation President Mikolaj Rykowski said Sob贸l was 鈥渢he man for every task 鈥 he could overcome every difficulty.鈥
Posting on Facebook, Przemy艣l Mayor Wojciech Bakun said of Sob贸l鈥檚 death that there are 鈥渘o words to describe how people who knew this fantastic young man feel now.鈥
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 鈥渁ll-round gentleman鈥 who was planning to give his mother and aunt a surprise cruise after he returned from Gaza.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just devastating that he鈥檚 fought in these wars and come home with not a scratch, and then he goes out to do something helpful, and that鈥檚 what happens,鈥 she told Sky News.
Chapman, 57, was a Royal Marines veteran whose family said in a statement that they were devastated to lose him.
鈥淗e died trying to help people and was subject to an inhumane act,鈥 they said. 鈥淗e was an incredible father, husband, son and brother.鈥
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.
鈥淚t is an extreme loss to tell you a couple of days ago I lost my son, but in a way I'm not surprised because he was so into these type of missions, this type of work,鈥 his mother, Sylvie Labrecque, told The Associated Press. 鈥淭here has been several times where I thought there was a strong possibility that his life was going to be short. He was kind of wild. He was very intense, but at the same time very smart.鈥
Labrecque said Jacob had an American father and she is Canadian. She separated from Jacob's father after five years in New York and five in Miami. She wanted to raise her son in rural Quebec.
She said Jacob's grandfather died fighting for the United States in World War II around the same age.
She said her son leaves behind a 22-year-old girlfriend who is grieving at their home in Costa Rica.
Labrecque said she believes his aid convoy was deliberately targeted by IDF. 鈥淚t was on purpose,鈥 she said.
In Acapulco, Mexico, restaurants posted on social media that Flickinger was among workers who brought relief to their neighborhoods last fall after the Pacific coast.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the fact that he was killed 鈥渨hile delivering food to civilians in need, his death is absolutely unacceptable.鈥
鈥淎t a time when humanitarian aid is so urgently needed in Gaza, Israel has an obligation to ensure the safety of aid workers. The world 鈥 and his loved ones 鈥 deserves an explanation as to how this happened,鈥 Trudeau said in a post on X.
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Earlier versions of this story gave the name of the Palestinian man killed as Saif Issam Abu Taha and his age as 27; that has been corrected to Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25, based on information from World Central Kitchen and his family. Also, in earlier versions of this story, Damian Sob贸l's age was reported as 36. It has been corrected to 35, based on details from World Central Kitchen.
