The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday accused armed terrorists in the central Gaza Strip of disguising themselves as humanitarian workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK), publishing video evidence of the deception and confirming the operatives were killed in an airstrike.

According to the IDF, five armed men were spotted earlier this week near a vehicle bearing the WCK logo in the Deir al-Balah area. They wore yellow vests and displayed the emblem “in an attempt to disguise their activities and avoid being targeted, cynically exploiting the status and trust given to aid organizations,” the military said.

The IDF said it verified the incident with WCK through COGAT, the Defense Ministry unit overseeing civilian affairs in Gaza and the West Bank. WCK confirmed the vehicle and individuals “were not affiliated” with the organization. A short time after being identified, the armed operatives — deemed an imminent threat to Israeli forces — were eliminated in a precision drone strike.

“We strongly condemn anyone posing as WCK or other humanitarians, as this endangers civilians and aid workers,” the organization said in a statement. “The safety and security of our teams are our top priority.”

The strike came amid ongoing Israeli military activity across Gaza. The IDF said an additional drone strike in Deir al-Balah on Monday targeted Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives, though it provided no further details. Palestinian media reported five fatalities in the area.

Gazan outlets also claimed Israeli special forces in a Volkswagen minibus abducted a man identified as Ismail Abd al-Karim Khattab from Deir al-Balah and took him into Israel via the Kissufim corridor. The reports, which remain unverified, alleged that heavy airstrikes followed in the area as Israeli forces withdrew.

Separately, the IDF said troops from the 188th Armored Brigade came under mortar fire in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis. The soldiers directed an Israeli drone to destroy the building from which the attack originated.

Even as fighting persisted, Western nations and the UAE airdropped 97 tons of food into Gaza on Tuesday, following the entry of 300 aid trucks the previous day. Spain said it had evacuated dozens of sick or wounded children from the enclave over the past several months.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)