‘Utterly devastating’: Reports Australian aid worker killed in Gaza airstrike

Former World Vision Australia CEO Tim Costello has described his devastation amid reports an Australian aid worker was killed in an airstrike in Gaza.

“I was sending my staff into countries when DFAT was ordering every Australian out – so we know the work is inherently risky, and I went to Gaza myself a number of times,” Mr Costello told Sky News Australia.

“You know that humanitarian workers take risks; they don’t have riffles, they don’t have tanks.

“All they have is a logo, and a flag and the confidence that the international system respects humanitarian workers.

“Particularly democracies respect them, like Israel – so this is why this is utterly, utterly devastating.”