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The seven aid workers killed in Israeli air strikes on Monday have been described as the "very best of humanity", as their loss is felt around the world and sends another chill through humanitarian aid groups in Gaza.
The founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), José Andrés, said his colleagues had finished delivering 100 tons of food in central Gaza when their three-car convoy was "systematically" targeted.
"The team was coming from dropping in a warehouse … all the food they were able to download before it got too dark," he said.
"Somehow, we kind of lost communication.
"Then we began to get information that something went wrong, that something happened. And that is when we found out our team was targeted."
According to Israel's initial investigation, it was a "grave mistake" that followed "misidentification" in "very complex conditions".
Killed in the air strikes was an Australian team leader, two American-Canadian and Polish relief workers, three British security personnel, and a Palestinian interpreter.
"[They] were the best of humanity," Mr Andrés wrote in the New York Times, before calling for an independent investigation into their deaths.
"They are not faceless or nameless. They are not generic aid workers or collateral damage in war."
Here's what we know about them.
'The best of humanity'
In a statement, WCK's chief executive officer Erin Gore described the seven aid workers as "beautiful souls".
Some had travelled the world, participating in aid efforts in the aftermath of wars, earthquakes and wildfires.
"Their smiles, laughter, and voices are forever embedded in our memories," Ms Gore said.
"And we have countless memories of them giving their best selves to the world. We are reeling from our loss. The world's loss."
The food they had successfully delivered in central Gaza had come from a barge that had sailed from Cyprus after a new maritime aid corridor had opened.
The United Nations and other agencies have repeatedly warned famine in Gaza is imminent and have complained of obstacles to getting aid distributed throughout the war-torn enclave.
"Their work was based on the simple belief that food is a universal human right," Mr Andrés said.
"It is not condition on being good or bad, rich or poor, left or right. We do not ask what religion you belong to. We just ask how many meals you need."
Lalzawmi 'Zomi' Frankcom (Australian)
Known to her friends as "Zomi", the 43-year-old Australian joined WCK as the team leader in Gaza after an earlier career at the Commonwealth Bank.
Social media posts show her in Pakistan and Bangladesh during floods in 2022 and on a motorbike convoy delivering aid into the Haitian highlands a year earlier.
"For her it was the perfect job, she got to serve hot meals to people who were having maybe the lowest point of their lives," her friend Bryan Weaver said.
"She made you feel like you were the only person in the room."
Another friend, Dora Weekley, said Frankcom was "larger than life".
"[She] was just really dedicated and really driven, worked all hours and would put everything into it," she said.
"She was on the frontlines really of helping everyone in need."
In a statement, Frankcom's family described her as a "kind, selfless and outstanding" human, who would "leave behind a legacy of compassion, bravery and love for all those in her orbit".
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he conveyed to his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu "in very clear terms" that Australians were outraged by the tragedy.
"These people are heroes," he said.
"When I spoke with the [Israeli] prime minister, I emphasised the importance of full accountability and transparency.
"I made clear again that humanitarian assistance must reach people in Gaza unimpeded and in large quantities."
Jacob Flickinger (American-Canadian)
The 33-year-old dual citizen of the United States and Canada served for more than 10 years in the Canadian Armed Forces and was deployed to Afghanistan, the military said in a statement.
"It 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," his mother, Sylvie Labrecque, said.
"There 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."
She said her son leaves behind a 22-year-old girlfriend who is grieving at their home in Costa Rica.
According to a GoFundMe page raising money to help his family, Flickinger also had a one-year-old son.
In Acapulco, Mexico, restaurants posted on social media that Flickinger was among workers who brought relief to their neighbourhoods after Hurricane Otis slammed the Pacific coast in October.
Damian Soból (Polish)
The 35-year-old Polish national was known as a cheerful, friendly and resourceful manager who quickly rose in WCK's ranks.
Hailing from the south-eastern city of Przemyśl and studying hospitality there, Soból had been on aid missions in Ukraine, Morocco, Turkey and, for the past six months, Gaza.
"He was a really extraordinary guy," said Marta Wilczynska, from the Free Place Foundation, which cooperates with World Central Kitchen.
"We were very proud of him."
Ms Wilczynska met Soból on the Polish side of the border with Ukraine, a few days after Russia's February 2022 invasion.
"Always smiling, always so helpful, he loved this job. I felt I had a brother in him," she said.
Free Place Foundation president Mikolaj Rykowski said Soból was "the man for every task — he could overcome every difficulty".
Przemyśl Mayor Wojciech Bakun said there were "no words to describe the feelings of people who knew this amazing young man".
James Kirby, John Chapman, James Henderson (British)
The three British nationals were all part of WCK's security team, according to the charity.
British media reported they were all former soldiers in the British military, and worked as private security contractors for UK-based firm Solace Global.
The 47-year-old Kirby served tours in Bosnia and Afghanistan, according to a statement released by his family via the BBC, which said they were "utterly heartbroken" and that Kirby would be remembered as a hero.
"Despite the risks, his compassionate nature drove him to offer assistance to those in dire need," the statement said.
"James lost his life trying to save others, he will never know what a void he has left, our family will never be the same."
Former special forces commando Chapman, a 57-year-old married father-of-two, had only been in Gaza for a few weeks before he was killed, according to the Sun newspaper.
Chapman's family said they were "devastated" to have lost him and that he would be missed dearly.
"He died trying to help people and was subject to an inhumane act," the family said in a statement released by Britain's Foreign Office.
"He was an incredible father, husband, son and brother."
Henderson, aged 33, served for six years in the Royal Marines, an elite fighting force of the British navy, according to his LinkedIn page.
Solace Global did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha (Palestinian)
The 25-year-old Palestinian had worked for WCK as a driver and translator since the start of the year, his relatives said.
Saifeddin's brother, Abdul Razzaq Abutaha, described him as a dedicated young man who was eager to help fellow Palestinians and distribute much-needed food in Gaza.
He had also been a successful businessman who conducted trade with overseas countries.
His work made him known on the Israeli side, his brother added, which helped with coordination and approvals to assist the WCK team in unloading the ship that had delivered the latest aid.
"My mother was looking for a wife for him. He was supposed to get married if the war didn't happen," Mr Abutaha said.
The last time Saifeddin and his brother spoke, the WCK team had finished the job and was heading home.
After hearing about the air strikes, Mr Abutaha said he tried to call Saifeddin.
After many attempts, he said, a stranger answered and told him, "I found this phone about 200 meters away from the car. All of the people inside are killed."
Saffeiden was buried in a ceremony attended by hundreds in his hometown of Rafah on Tuesday, the BBC reports.
WCK deaths 'not an isolated incident'
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said the killing of the seven aid workers from WCK was "not an isolated incident".
As of March 20, at least 196 humanitarians, including at least 175 UN workers, had been killed since the start of the war on October 7, the OHCHR reports.
"This is nearly three times the death toll recorded in any single conflict in a full year," said Nada Al-Nashif, the deputy high commissioner of OHCHR.
"As a result of attacks on hospitals and medical personnel and the sustained interference with humanitarian assistance, Palestinians in Gaza are dying of disease and hunger, if they are not killed by bombs."
Less than a week ago, three UN workers and an interpreter, including an Australian, were injured in an air strike while patrolling Lebanon's southern border with Israel.
"Most civil society organisations in Gaza have lost their physical infrastructure, with their staff either dead, injured, or detained, while others have fled seeking security," Mr Al-Nashif said.
"These are huge blows to civil society. Even more, funding to many of these organisations has been either frozen or is under review by donors."
The United Nations said the deaths of aid workers had a "chilling effect" on humanitarian groups, with agencies like WCK and American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) pausing their operations in Gaza.
"It has a real impact on people who depend on these organisations to receive aid," UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said.
"But it also has a psychological and chilling effect on humanitarian workers, both Palestinians and international, who continue to do their utmost to deliver aid to those who need it at great personal risk."