Srinagar, April 04: Rebutting claims of Israel that they “mistakenly killed the aid workers”, founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK) Chef Jose Andres told Reuters that an Israeli attack killed seven of his food aid workers in Gaza by targeting them “systematically, car by car.”
In a video interview to Reuters, Andres said that WCK charity group had clear communication with the Israeli military. “They knew the movements of my aid workers,” Andres said.
“This was not just a bad luck situation where ‘oops’ we dropped the bomb in the wrong place,” Andres said.
“This was over a 1.5, 1.8 kilometers, with a very defined humanitarian convoy that had signs in the top, in the roof, a very colorful logo that we are obviously very proud of,” he said. It’s “very clear who we are and what we do.”
“These are the heroes of WCK. These 7 beautiful souls were killed by the IDF in a strike as they were returning from a full day’s mission. Their smiles, laughter, and voices are forever embedded in our memories.” – Erin Gore, CEO. Read more: https://t.co/4f38RQ1l4I pic.twitter.com/neAsSzKVP5
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) April 2, 2024
Andres said the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) was aware of the convoy’s whereabouts. He called for investigations of the incident by the U.S. government and by the home country of every aid worker that was killed.
Herzi Halevi, the chief of staff of Israel’s armed forces, said several air strikes on an aid convoy operated by World Central Kitchen, which killed seven aid workers, were a “grave mistake”.
Halevi said that a preliminary review of the incident showed that the strikes were not carried out with the intention of killing aid workers but resulted from a “misidentification” of the vehicles in the aid convoy in complex conditions, at night, reported Al Jazeera.
Meanwhile the US secretary of state Antony Blinken has joined global calls for accountability from Israel after its army killed the workers of the food aid NGO World Central Kitchen.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his “anger” to his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for accountability. An Australian was also among the seven-aid workers killed in the Israeli strike on Tuesday.