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Chef José Andrés: IDF ‘systematically’ killed WCK workers ‘car by car’

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Celebrity chef José Andrés, the founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), addressed an Israeli airstrike that killed seven WCK workers on Monday, April 1. Andrés said on Wednesday that the Israel Defense Forces did not just accidentally hit aid workers delivering around 100 tons of food in Gaza; they “systematically” targeted them “car-by-car.”

Following Andrés’ statement, an Israeli military investigation reportedly found that forces “wrongfully identified” WCK vehicles as enemy targets, and the Israeli military has expressed “severe sorrow” over the deaths of the seven aid workers. However, Andrés said that this incident is not a simple mistake.

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“This is not just a bad luck situation where ‘oops’ we dropped the bomb in the wrong place,” Andrés told Reuters.

An investigative group interviewed by the Wall Street Journal reported that two of the vehicles used by aid workers were “geolocated” on a road known by the United Nations to be a humanitarian aid route. Two of the vehicles were reported to be on the route, and a third one was set to the side of the road.

According to the Journal, impact holes into the vehicles showed the use of “precision munitions” by the IDF. All the vehicles were white, and one had the organization’s logo “clearly marked” on the top of the car.

Still, the group of investigators claimed the logo may have been difficult to see based on the type of camera that was used at night.

A former U.S. counterterrorism senior official told the Journal that the attack likely involved several drones and two-to-three dozen support staff members.

Andrés said that his organization clearly communicated with the IDF about its movements, and he is pressing the U.S. to step up and “demand Israel end the war now.”

President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he was “outraged and heartbroken” by the workers’ deaths. Those killed were from countries around the globe, including America, Britain, Australia, and a Palestinian.

Meanwhile, Andrés is calling for an independent investigation into the attack. He said he was supposed to be with WCK in Gaza, but for reasons other than the attack, could not join them.

The U.N. stated that more than 180 humanitarian aid workers have died in Israel’s war against Hamas.

WCK has helped in the aftermath of natural disasters and the war in Ukraine. Andrés said he is still assessing any potential humanitarian aid operations in the wake of the incident. Several organizations, including WCK, have suspended aid operations, as questions over safety remain.

The U.S. has called for a “swift investigation” into the incident but has given no indication that it would be suspending support or military aid to Israel. The calls by the U.S. come amid international condemnation of the Israeli airstrike.

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[JOSE ANDRES]

THEY WERE TARGETED SYSTEMATICALLY, CAR BY CAR

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THAT WAS CELEBRITY CHEF JOSE ANDRES, THE FOUNDER OF WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN, TALKING ABOUT AN ATTACK THAT KILLED SEVEN OF ITS WORKERS.

HE SAYS HIS WORKERS WERE NOT JUST ACCIDENTALLY HIT BY AN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE WHILE DELIVERING FOOD IN GAZA, THEY WERE TARGETED.

AN ISRAELI MILITARY INVESTIGATION REVEALS FORCES WRONGFULLY IDENTIFIED W-C-K’S VEHICLES AS ENEMY TARGETS AND EXPRESSED SEVERE SORROW OVER THE INCIDENT.

HOWEVER, ANDRES SAYS THIS IS NO SIMPLE MISTAKE.

[JOSE ANDRES]

THIS IS NOT JUST A BAD LUCK SITUATION WHERE ‘OOPS’ WE DROPPED THE BOMB IN THE WRONG PLACE.

MILITARY EXPERTS SAY TWO OF THE VEHICLES WERE “GEOLOCATED” ON A ROAD KNOWN TO BY THE U-N TO BE A HUMANITARIAN AID ROUTE. 

TWO OF THE VEHICLES WERE ON THE ROUTE, AND ONE SET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

IMPACT HOLES REPORTEDLY SHOW THE USE OF “PRECISION MUNITIONS.”

ALL THE VEHICLES WERE WHITE, AND ONE HAD THE ORGANIZATION’S LOGO “CLEARLY” MARKED ON THE TOP.”

STILL, THE LOGO MAY HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TO SEE BASED ON THE TYPE OF CAMERA USED AT NIGHT, ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATORS.

A FORMER U-S COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL SAID THE ATTACK LIKELY INVOLVED DRONES, AND TWO-TO-THREE DOZEN SUPPORT STAFF. 

ANDRES SAID HIS ORGANIZATION CLEARLY COMMUNICATED WITH THE I-D-F ABOUT ITS MOVEMENTS AND THE WORLD RENOWNED CHEF IS PRESSURING THE U-S TO STEP UP AND “DEMAND ISRAEL END THE WAR NOW.”

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SAID HE WAS “OUTRAGED AND HEARTBROKEN” OVER THE DEATHS.

ANDRES SAYS HE WANTS AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO THE ATTACK.

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE U-N SAYS MORE THAN 180 HUMANITARIAN AID WORKERS HAVE DIED IN ISRAEL’S WAR AGAINST HAMAS.

SEVERAL HUMANITARIAN AID ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING W-C-K HAVE SUSPENDED AID OPERATIONS, INCLUDING W-C-K IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE AIRSTRIKES.