[1][2] The workers had been overseeing the transfer of a shipment of food from a makeshift pier to a warehouse some distance away in the northern Gaza Strip, which has been pushed close to famine by Israel's invasion and blockade during the Israel–Hamas war.

[3][4] The attack occurred three days after a unanimous ICJ ruling in the ongoing Genocide Convention case that ordered Israel to ensure the unhindered flow of aid into Gaza.

[6][7] WCK founder, Spanish chef José Andrés, accused Israel of deliberately attacking the convoy; the group argued that the military could not credibly investigate itself and called for an independent inquiry.

[12][13] The attack drew widespread international condemnation,[14][15] and led WCK and other humanitarian organizations to pause their operations in Gaza.

[18] A severe humanitarian crisis has developed since the start of the invasion with healthcare in a state of collapse and shortages of food, clean water, medicine and fuel caused by the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.

[24] Widespread civilian deaths in Gaza and the initial 7 October attack have led to accusations of war crimes against Israel and Hamas.

[25] There have been a number of reported attacks on civilian aid seekers and workers, with more than 173 UNRWA staff killed by Israeli forces during the Israel–Hamas war.

Giora Eiland, a retired Major General, wrote: "In order to make the siege effective, we have to prevent others from assisting in Gaza.

[28] Three days before the killings the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had ruled unanimously, in response to a second South African request for additional provisional measures in the ongoing Genocide Convention case, that Israel must enable the unhindered flow of aid into Gaza and act "without delay" to allow the "provision... of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance".

[29] Seven people were killed; they were recovered by the Palestine Red Crescent Society in a "challenging operation" and taken to Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah.

[36][37] Among the seven World Central Kitchen aid workers were confirmed British, Australian, Polish, Palestinian, and dual American-Canadian nationals.

[47] Leading UK barrister Michael Mansfield reckoned the letter "is plainly relevant to a particular state of mind" of those behind the bombings, indicating that "the target of the Israeli army is [not] primarily Hamas but Gaza as a whole by weaponising aid under siege conditions.

"[47] Countries, officials, and organizations that denounced the attack include: the European Commission, Iran, Jordan, the United Nations's emergency relief chief Martin Griffiths, Norwegian Refugee Council, Open Arms, who were delivering food with WCK, Scotland, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and World Food Programme Chief Cindy McCain.

"[50] Andrés made another video statement in which he accused the IDF of systematically and deliberately targeting aid workers to kill everyone in the convoy.

"[32] The family of Zomi Frankcom expressed to The Sydney Morning Herald their demands for an investigation and war crimes charges for those found culpable.

"[52] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the attack as a tragic incident where Israeli forces unintentionally hit innocent people.

[58] Hamas condemned the drone strikes in a statement and urged the international community to take action: "This crime once again confirms that the occupation continues its policy of deliberate killing of innocent civilians, international relief teams, and humanitarian organizations, in its efforts to terrorize those working in them and prevent them from carrying out their humanitarian duties.

[93] On 6 April, Wong stated that she and the Minister for Defence Richard Marles had written to their Israeli equivalents calling for further action to be taken against the individuals responsible for the attack.

[95][96][97][98] Later that day, she announced the formation of a "Ministerial Group for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel" together with the governments of Jordan, Switzerland, Indonesia, Sierra Leone, the UK, Japan, Brazil and Colombia.

[103] Bellingcat further concluded that it was "likely" that the World Central Kitchen markings on at least one of the car roofs "would have been visible from above when the strike was carried out" depending on the imaging capabilities of the system used.

[106] Haaretz quoted one Israeli defense source as saying that "the units in the field decide to launch attacks without any preparation, in cases that have nothing to do with protecting our forces.

"[29] Further citing Israeli defense sources, Haaretz reported that the destroyed cars "were clearly marked on the roof and sides" as belonging to the World Central Kitchen, and had "travelled along a route preapproved and coordinated with the IDF", but "the war room of the unit responsible for security of the route ordered the drone operators to attack", due to "suspicion that a terrorist was travelling with the convoy"; the supposed terrorist was "an armed man" in the aid truck being escorted by the cars to a food warehouse in Deir al-Balah; the cars had left the aid truck behind at the warehouse, and the "armed man did not leave the warehouse", but Israeli strikes from an Elbit Hermes 450 drone were still ordered on the cars.

Yoav Har-Even, president and CEO of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems,[47] and on 4 April 2024 reported their initial investigatory findings regarding the incident.

"[9] Andrés in an interview with ABC News contested the IDF's claim of poor vision, insisting that the brightly colored logos on their white cars could be seen by those drones even in the dark of night.

[9] Speaking to Politico, an unnamed U.S. official stated Israel will "do and say whatever is necessary to maintain the status quo and I have little hope their investigation will be transparent or honest".

[113] Opposition leader Peter Dutton accused the government of politicizing Frankcom's death, saying he didn't "believe that it was necessary" to commission the report in the first place.

[114] On November 30, 2024, an Israeli airstrike on a World Central Kitchen vehicle in Khan Yunis killed five people, including three aid workers.