The families of British aid workers killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza have paid moving tributes to them as “heroes”.
James Kirby, 47, John Chapman, 57, and James "Jim" Henderson, 33, were among the seven killed after Israeli forces hit a World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid convoy in Gaza.
Also killed were American-Canadian dual citizen Jacob Flickinger, 33, Australian national Lalzawmi "Zomi" Frankcom, 43, who was the leader of the relief team, Polish national Damian Sobol, 35, and Palestinian Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25.
Paying tribute, Mr Kirby’s family said the Armed Forces veteran was a “genuine gentleman”.
“Alongside the other six individuals who tragically lost their lives, he will be remembered as a hero,” the family said in a statement to the BBC.
“James understood the dangers of venturing into Gaza, drawing from his experiences in the British Armed Forces, where he bravely served tours in Bosnia and Afghanistan.
“Despite the risks, his compassionate nature drove him to offer assistance to those in dire need."
The statement added the family are "incredibly proud of who James was and what he achieved".
Mr Kirby was a former sniper marksman and rifleman in the Army, according to his LinkedIn page, while The Times reported he was also believed to be a former member of Britain's special forces.
Outcry and anger has mounted over the killings, which Israel has called a “grave mistake” following a “misidentification”.
The family of John Chapman said: “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 forever be a hero. He will be missed dearly”.
US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he was "outraged and heartbroken" by the deaths, saying it was not a “stand alone” incident.
"This conflict has been one of the worst in recent memory in terms of how many aid workers have been killed,” Mr Biden said, calling for a full and transparent investigation into the circumstances of the strike.
"This is a major reason why distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza has been so difficult - because Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians.”
Rishi Sunak also described himself as appalled by the killings and said the situation in Gaza had become “increasingly intolerable”.
A Downing Street spokesman said on Tuesday: "The Prime Minister spoke to Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening.
"He said he was appalled by the killing of aid workers, including three British nationals, in an air strike in Gaza yesterday and demanded a thorough and transparent independent investigation into what happened.
"The Prime Minister said far too many aid workers and ordinary civilians have lost their lives in Gaza and the situation is increasingly intolerable.”
Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, chief of the general staff of the Israel Defence Forces, said the incident was “a mistake that followed a misidentification - at night during a war in very complex conditions. It shouldn't have happened".
He added that an independent body would conduct a "thorough investigation" which is to be completed in the coming days.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said that the strike was tragic and unintended.
