Aid workers Tributes and anger from families of the dead

A British aid worker who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza was "subject to an inhumane act", his family said yesterday.

- Emine Sinmaz, Steven Morris

John Chapman, 57, who is understood to be a former special forces member, was among seven World Central Kitchen aid workers killed by an Israel Defense Forces attack on a humanitarian convoy on Monday.

His family said in a statement issued to the Foreign Office: "We are devastated to have lost John, who was killed in Gaza. He died trying to help people and was subject to an inhumane act. He was an incredible father, husband, son and brother.

"We request we be given space and time to grieve appropriately. He was loved by many and will for ever be a hero. He will be missed dearly." Chapman, who lived in Poole, Dorset, worked in the charity's security team and was killed alongside fellow British military veterans James Kirby, a 47-year-old former army sniper, and James Henderson, a 33-year-old former Royal Marine. The trio worked for the Dorset-based security firm Solace Global, which had been supporting the charity in Gaza.

Kirby's family described him as a "genuine gentleman" who lost his life trying to help others. In a statement to the BBC, they said: "As a family, we are utterly heartbroken by the loss of our beloved James Kirby. Alongside the other six individuals who tragically lost their lives, he will be remembered as a hero.