By M Ghazali Khan

London, (The Muslim News):

The Founder and Chairman of the UK-based international charity Al-Khair Foundation (AKF), Imam Qasim Rashid, has expressed deep sorrow over the killing of eight of the organization’s workers in northern Gaza by Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).

Meanwhile, British Member of Parliament, Yasmin Qureshi, has urged the government to call for an independent investigation into the attack to establish the facts and ensure accountability.

In a video message released from Syria, Imam Qasim stated that despite the ceasefire, AKF’s team was unjustly bombed, even though these innocent individuals were solely engaged in providing humanitarian aid to the “oppressed and needy Palestinians” during the holy month of Ramadan. Among those killed were aid workers, journalists, and cameramen. He emphasized that these losses are deeply personal to him and the AKF teams.

In an interview to Turkish TV TRT, Imam Qasim also revealed that a year ago, the Israeli army attacked and destroyed an AKF-funded hospital in Gaza. “To this day, we do not know the whereabouts of our doctors and other staff members,” he added.

As usual, the Israeli military claimed that it had struck “two terrorists who were identified operating a drone that posed a threat to Israeli troops.”

Imam Qasim condemned the immediate blaming of the victims after their killing, calling it a usual practice of the IDF. He stated that such inhumane behaviour further adds to the suffering of AKF’s teams and the families of the charity workers.

“My heart goes out to the families of the martyrs. May Allah SWT grant them the highest place in heaven and give their loved ones the courage and strength to bear this loss.”

It is worth noting that, to date, AKF has lost thirteen aid workers in Israel’s ongoing military campaign. In his video statement, Imam Qasim emphasized,

“Such incidents will not shake our commitment to delivering aid to those in need.”

AKF remains one of the major organizations providing food and other relief supplies in Gaza and has established a tent city with 10,000 tents for displaced individuals and families.

Imam Qasim received the tragic news of his team members’ killings while on a humanitarian mission in Syria. Notably, he currently spends most of his time in Jordan, Egypt, and Syria, personally overseeing relief operations.

British Member of Parliament, Yasmin Qureshi, has urged the government to call for an independent investigation into the attack to establish the facts and ensure accountability.

In a letter to Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, Qureshi expressed “serious concern” over the attack, adding: “This awful attack is not isolated. Since October 2023, over 300 aid workers have been killed in Gaza—the deadliest crisis for humanitarian personnel in modern history.”
She stressed, “…this attack will undermine the already fragile ceasefire as Israel escalates military operations in Gaza and the West Bank. A ceasefire cannot hold with such disregard for human life and humanitarian principles.”

Ms. Qureshi demanded, “With Gaza’s population in dire need, the UK must take a firm stand to ensure humanitarian workers can perform their life-saving work without fear while helping those most vulnerable… Our response must reflect both our values as a nation and our commitment to upholding international law.”

More than 48,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023

[Photo: Members of charity Al Khair Foundation killed by Israeli Defence Forces in northern Gaza whilst providing aid to people in Gaza. Photo provided by Al Khair Foundation]