The British aid workers who died in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza have been named as John Chapman, James Kirby and James Henderson.
Seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed on Monday after a convoy they were travelling in was hit as it was leaving a warehouse in Deir al Balah overnight.
The WCK named all seven aid workers who were killed by the Israeli strike, this evening.
Documents seen by Sky News suggest Mr Chapman, 57, had been due to leave the Palestinian territory on 1 April.
Research from Sky News’ data and forensics team suggests Mr Chapman was registered to enter the Palestinian territory on 22 March, with information from the Gaza General Crossings Authority showing he was put down as a security consultant.
The three British nationals were part of the WCK’s security team.
Nationals from Poland and Australia were also among those killed, as well as a dual citizen of the US and Canada, and a Palestinian who was driving the car they were all travelling in.
Image: The blood-stained UK, Polish, and Australian passports of the volunteers. Pic: AP
It is believed the workers were helping to deliver aid that had arrived hours earlier on a ship from Cyprus at the time.
IsraeliPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that Israeli forces were responsible for the airstrike, saying there was a “tragic incident of an unintended strike of our forces on innocent people in the Gaza Strip”.
He added: “It happens in war, we check it to the end, we are in contact with the governments, and we will do everything so that this thing does not happen again.”
His comments came after Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said he had spoken to Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, to “underline that the deaths of WCK aid workers in Gaza, including three British nationals, are completely unacceptable”.
Image: One of the vehicles the aid workers were travelling in. Pic: AP
Image: The aftermath of the airstrike in Deir al Balah, Gaza. Pic: Reuters
The IDF said it was carrying out a “thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident”.
In a statement, a spokesperson added: “The IDF makes extensive efforts to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid.”
WCK’s chief executive Erin Gore said the team of aid workers was “travelling in a deconflicted zone in two armoured cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle” when it was hit.
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Ms Gore added: “This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organisations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war.
Image: Lalzawmi ‘Zomi’ Frankcom was also killed. Pic: World Central Kitchen via Reuters
Alongside the three British nationals, four others were killed by the targeted Israeli strike
Lalzawmi ‘Zomi’ Frankcom
Melbourne-born Ms Frankcom was remembered as a brave and selfless woman who had spent the last five years working for the WCK.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp: “We mourn this fine Australian who has a record of helping out her fellow citizens.
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“She is someone who clearly was concerned about her fellow humanity.”
Relatives described the 43 year old as an “outstanding human being” who was “killed doing the work she loves delivering food to the people of Gaza”.
Image: Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25,
Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha
The 27-year-old Palestinian was identified by relatives and hospital workers.
According to his brother Ahmed Abutaha, he had worked for the WCK as a driver since the start of the year.
Another brother told the New York Times Mr Abutaha had been so excited to distribute the desperately needed food it was “like they were going to a wedding”.
Image: A mourner reacts next to the bodies of volunteers from the WCK. Pic: Reuters
Damian Sobol
Hailing from the Polish city of Przemysl, the 36 year old had spent the past six months in Gaza after working across the globe on aid missions.
Image: Damian Sobol was described as ‘really extraordinary’. Pic Reuters
Posting on Facebook, Przemyśl mayor Wojciech Bakun said there are “no words to describe how people who knew this fantastic young man feel now”.
Marta Wilczynska, of the Free Place Foundation, met and worked with Mr Sobol after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said: “He was a really extraordinary guy. We were very proud of him.”
Jacob Flickinger
Image: Jacob Flickinger, 33, was part of the relief team
The 33-year-old dual US and Canadian citizen was part of the relief team working to bring aid to Gazans in need.
A British couple who have been detained in Iran have been named by their family as Craig and Lindsay Foreman.
The family said they are “significantly concerned” by the “distressing situation”.
According to Ms Foreman’s social media, the couple were on a motorbiking trip across the globe to Australia as part of a positive psychology mission.
On 30 December, she posted about how they were about to face “one of the most challenging” parts of their trip, Iran and Pakistan.
Image: Lindsay Foreman. Pic: Family handout via FCDO
Image: Craig Foreman. Pic: Family handout via FCDO
The post reads: “Despite the advice of friends, family, and the FCDO (which strongly advises against travel to Iran for British nationals), we’ve chosen to keep moving forward.
“Why? Because we believe that, no matter where you are in the world, most people are good, kind humans striving for a meaningful life.
“Yes, we’re aware of the risks. But we also know the rewards of meeting incredible people, hearing their stories, and seeing the breathtaking landscapes of these regions could far outweigh the fear.”
Image: A screenshot from Ms Foreman’s post in Armenia, from where they crossed into Iran. Pic: Instagram/Lindsay Foreman
Image: Ms Foreman appears in her post from Armenia. Pic: Instagram/Lindsay Foreman
In a statement, the couple’s family expressed their concern and said they were engaging with the UK government.
“We would like to take this opportunity to address the distressing situation concerning Craig and Lindsay Foreman who are currently being detained in Kerman, Iran,” they said.
“This unexpected turn of events has caused significant concern for our entire family, and we are deeply focused on ensuring their safety and wellbeing during this trying time.
“We are actively engaging with the British government and relevant authorities, working diligently to navigate the complexities of this matter. The family are united in our determination to secure their safe return.
“We truly appreciate the outpouring of support from friends, family, and the community, which has provided us with strength and encouragement as we face this ordeal.”
They added: “Thank you for your understanding, compassion, and continued support.”
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A Foreign Office spokesperson earlier said: “We are providing consular assistance to two British nationals detained in Iran and are in contact with the local authorities.”
Iranian state media said on Wednesday that a man and woman were in custody in Iran’s southeastern city of Kerman on security-related charges.
The Foreign Office warns that people are at risk of “arrest, detention and a death sentence” if they travel to Iran.
Iran has previously arrested and held British citizens for extended periods of time.
“We are trying to piece together Julie’s movements before she disappeared so I would appeal for anyone who has seen her in the past few weeks to get in touch,” said Detective Inspector Richard Stott from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit.
“We know she has links to places in the surrounding area including March, Manea, and Chatteris so I would urge people who live in those areas to consider if they have information that could be of use to our inquiry.
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“We are in touch with family of Julie and specially trained officers are keeping them up to date on the police inquiry at this very difficult time.
“Although we have always wanted to find Julie alive, the circumstances suggest she is likely to have come to serious harm, so we continue to treat her disappearance as murder.”
Anyone with information can contact the police online or call 101 and quote Operation Dragonfish.
Idris Elba hopes providing more access to football in communities will deter youngsters from knife crime and he urged other industries to follow the Premier League’s lead.
The actor dropped in on a session run by the West Ham Foundation – part of the league’s Kicks programme supporting youngsters at risk of anti-social behaviour and youth violence by providing free weekly football.
While it could offer pathways in the sport – including coaching the next generation – Elba sees how it provides the toolset for personal development in life more broadly.
“Football has an amazing aggregated power,” Elba told Sky News. “I think that is a really good sort of example for other industries to think about mentorship programmes.
“Apprenticeship programmes that can just give young people (opportunities) because not every kid wants to play football.
“But at least we’re seeing the Premier League do something. The big tech companies, motor industry companies should say, ‘Hey, what can we do with the young people? What are their interests?'”
The Premier League has invested more than £90m in the Kicks programme across two decades with a particular focus on reducing violent behaviour.
The need for such a scheme was reinforced by the fatal stabbings of 10 teenagers in London last year being followed by a 14-year-old’s killing in the first week of 2025.
Image: Elba speaking about the Premier League’s work to tackle knife crime
It is a year since Elba launched his own campaign, Don’t Stop Your Future, to call for greater urgency in addressing the knife crime crisis.
“Where there are young people aggregating around football, around teams, should we be messaging that knife crime is no good? Absolutely. Yes,” Elba said. “We should be messaging that wherever you can.
“Just listen to a young person once. If you’ve never asked them what their feelings are about knife crime, about what they want to do with their lives, do it. That’s one thing… The answer is up to you, but ultimately, you’re beginning the conversation.”
It was a conversation Elba had earlier this week in Dagenham with young players and coaches alongside a roundtable with community leaders impacted by knife crime.
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1:25
From September 2024: ‘Talk is good, action is more important’
“I absolutely feel that the more we talk, we can do about this, the better,” Elba said.
“Are there mechanisms where football can play a part in a larger scale? Absolutely. Let’s hope that we can all put our thinking caps on.”
That is working – as the Premier League does – with police to confront the knife crime epidemic.
“It feels probably to many that not enough is being done,” Met Police Commander Stephen Clayman, the national policing lead for knife crime, told Sky News pitchside at the Kicks programme.
“But actually, you see things like this. You only need to change the direction of a number of people. You’ve already made a huge difference.
“What you need is more of this, more investment in youth services, in these types of things, and then you start making the difference.”
Image: Met Commander Stephen Clayman
But can football really make communities safer by providing access to football? Or is it for authorities to search for more impactful interventions – by increasing the number of officers on the beat?
“Having more cops can make a difference in some areas for enforcement, but it’s not just about enforcement,” Commander Clayman said.
“You’re only going to really tackle this if you get to the root cause of why someone feels they have to pick up a knife in the first place.
“That’s not going to be the police solving that. That’s going to be people with some of the sort of coaches and mentors here that will do that and all the other services around. That’s what will make the real difference over time. It’s never going to be a quick fix.”
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2:55
From January: Britain’s knife crime epidemic
But football is trying to help in any way it can to prevent the tragedies that trouble West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen.
“Things like this really help people get off the streets and really do something with their life and make a real powerful change – I think it’s such a really important thing,” he said in an interview.
“It teaches them good habits and it teaches them a lot of different things as well. They spoke about the mental side of football and the technical side also.
“I think it also teaches about social skills. You have to play as a team, people making friendships here as well. So, I think it’s a really powerful positive thing.”