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- Written by Madeline Halpert
- BBC News, New York
image source, Getty Images
Jose Andres founded charity after 2010 Haiti earthquake
José Andres, founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), said he was “heartbroken” by the deaths of aid workers in strikes by Israel, which has called for an end to Israel’s “indiscriminate killings”. “There is,” he said.
Seven employees of a US-based food charity were killed on Monday as they left a warehouse in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Israeli forces attacked “innocent people”.
Andres said in a statement that he was mourning the families of the victims.
“They are humans…angels,” he wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “They are not faceless… They are not nameless.”
“The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing,” he added. “We need to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon.”
WCK CEO Erin Gore said in a separate statement that the killing of aid workers was “unforgivable.”
“This is not just an attack on WCK, but on humanitarian organizations in the most dire situations, where food is used as a weapon of war,” she said.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that President Joe Biden has met with Andres, the organization’s founder, and is “heartbroken” by the death. He is said to have said.
Biden is “grieving with the entire WCK family,” she said.
Andres, a two-star Michelin chef, founded WCK in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
The group has provided meals in many war-torn locations, including Ukraine. It has become one of the main suppliers of much-needed aid to Gaza.
The group released the names of the seven people killed.
- Jacob Flickinger, 33, American-Canadian
- John Chapman, 57, British
- James Henderson, 33, British
- James Kirby, 47, British
- Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25 years old, Palestinian
- Larzaumi Francome, 43 years old, Australian
- Damian Sobol, 35 years old, Polish
The group said the three British nationals who died were part of WCK’s security team, while the others worked in WCK’s “relief” team.
WCK temporarily suspended its activities in the country following the murder. The organization said the airstrike occurred despite a “coordinated move” with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The IDF said it was conducting a “thorough investigation” into what it called a “tragic incident.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged on Tuesday that “innocent people” had been attacked in what he called an “unintentional” attack.
“This is what happens in wars. We are checking every last detail and are in contact with governments. We will do everything we can to make sure this never happens again,” he said.
Andres said he has served alongside some of the humanitarian workers in several countries.
“No more innocent lives can be lost. Peace begins with our shared humanity. It needs to start now,” he wrote to X.
Watch: Video showing World Central Kitchen vehicles destroyed in Gaza airstrike
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