The deaths of aid workers in Gaza are “completely unacceptable” and "sickening", an Oxfordshire MP and Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron have said.

Three British nationals were among those killed, alongside an Australian, a Polish national, an American-Canadian dual citizen and a Palestinian.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was “shocked and saddened” by reports that seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers were killed in Gaza on Monday.

And Lord Cameron, a former Witney MP, known as Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, said he had spoken to his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, to stress the need for “major changes” to ensure the safety of aid workers.

Lord Cameron said in a statement: “Israel must urgently explain how this happened and make major changes to ensure safety of aid workers on the ground.”

Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, added: "The idea that UK-made weapons might been used to kill any civilians is sickening.

"That three British aid workers are among them brings it into tragic focus. The Government must suspend arms exports to Israel and push for an immediate bilateral ceasefire."

Bicester Advertiser: Layla Moran Layla Moran (Image: Aaron Chown/PA)The convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tonnes of humanitarian food aid taken to Gaza on the maritime route, WCK said.

The aid workers reportedly travelled in two armoured cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft-skin vehicle.

WCK immediately suspended operations in the region.

Bicester Advertiser: Lord Cameron Lord Cameron (Image: James Manning)Sir Keir Starmer has called for international law to be upheld as he described the deaths as “outrageous and unacceptable”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the aid workers were killed by an “unintended strike” by Israeli forces.

Mr Netanyahu said in a statement: “Unfortunately over the last day there was a tragic incident of an unintended strike of our forces on innocent people in the Gaza Strip.”

He said officials were “checking this thoroughly” and “will do everything for this not to happen again”.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) “expressed the deepest condolences” to the families of the aid workers, and said it was “reviewing the incident at the highest levels”.

An IDF spokesman said: “Last night, an incident took place in Gaza that resulted in the tragic death of World Central Kitchen employees as they fulfilled their vital mission of bringing food to people in need.

“As a professional military committed to international law, we are committed to examining our operations thoroughly and transparently.

“I just spoke to WCK founder, chef Jose Anders, and expressed the deepest condolences of the Israel Defence Forces to the families and the entire World Central Kitchen family.

“We also express sincere sorrow to our allied nations who have been doing and continue to do so much to assist those in need.

“We will be opening a probe to examine this serious incident further."

Humanitarian organisation the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said the operation to recover the seven bodies took “several hours”.

A spokesperson said in a statement: “In a challenging operation spanning several hours, teams from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society successfully recovered the bodies of the seven World Central Kitchen employees this morning.

“They were targeted by Israeli occupation forces yesterday evening while travelling in vehicles owned by the kitchen in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip.

“Two of the bodies were initially missing, but were later located and retrieved by the PRCS teams."