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.
“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.
