Celebrity chef José Andres' World Central Kitchen has called for an independent investigation into the Israeli drone strike that killed seven staffers, including an American, in Gaza this week, accusing the Israeli military of its own “failures.” He said he could not trust that it could be reliably verified.
The Israel Defense Forces fired two officers on Friday after a preliminary investigation found that the shocking April 1 massacre was a “serious mistake” as aid groups called for an outside investigation. This was after he announced that he had disciplined other members.
The deaths led to global condemnation of Israel's actions in its six-month war with Hamas, prompting President Joe Biden on Thursday to issue an ultimatum to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Protect civilians and humanitarians and allow desperately needed aid to Gaza, or face the loss of U.S. military support.”
“We demand the establishment of an independent commission to investigate the murder of our WCK colleagues,” Andres' group said on Friday. “The Israel Defense Forces cannot credibly investigate its own failures in Gaza.” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters there were “no plans” for another U.S. investigation. Stated.
more:Israeli army fires officer for role in strike that killed 7 aid workers
Israel promises new aid route to starving Gaza
Mr. Andres' call for an independent investigation came hours after Mr. Biden took a hard line with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Israel's plan to open new aid routes to Gaza is a sign of famine on the northern coast. This was because aid groups and governments argued that the measures were not sufficient to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It was there that the World Central Kitchen team had unloaded 100 tons of food before they were killed.
“Not enough to prevent famine in #Gaza,” European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on X (formerly Twitter).
Israel announced on Thursday that it would open the southern port of Ashdod and the border crossing between Erez and northern Gaza, about 32 miles away, for transportation support and other purposes.
more:'It's not working': Democrats press Biden to change policy on Israel. $14 billion is at stake
Aid group Oxfam said Thursday that residents in northern Gaza are surviving on an average of 245 calories a day, less than 12% of the recommended daily intake of 2,100 calories, the humanitarian group said. The coalition warned last month that famine was imminent. The United Nations reported on Friday that an estimated 50,000 children under the age of five are suffering from “acute malnutrition.”
Scott Paul, head of humanitarian policy at Oxfam America, told USA TODAY whether the new aid route will be effective will depend on what restrictions Israel imposes on the movement of goods and people into northern Gaza. He said he was suffering from this.
more:Deaths of Jose Andrés' World Central Kitchen crew mark a low point in the Gaza war, aid workers say
Border aid bottleneck
Case in point: Gaza didn't have electricity to power its water treatment plants, so Oxfam sent thousands of drinking water testing kits and four desalination units to Egypt, passing through the Rafah border crossing. Transported to Gaza. More than four months later, the group is still waiting for permission to enter Israel, Paul said.
When it came to accepting aid to Gaza, “the default rule was 'no,'” Paul said. “It has to be 'yes'. We have to turn that around. Is there a basis for banning the transport of basic goods and services?”
Aid experts say Gaza needs medical workers to treat severe malnutrition, water engineers to prevent disease, and reliable security protocols to protect humanitarian workers and civilians. said. More than 30,000 civilians have been killed since Hamas fighters rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
“What we're interested in…especially when it comes to humanitarian organizations, is a sustainable and workable conflict resolution process,” Kirby said.
Israel's announcement was “a good first step,” said Dr. Zaher Sahrul, chairman of aid group MedGlobal, which works in Ukraine, Syria, Sudan and Gaza.
Tharoor led a MedGlobal delegation to the White House on Tuesday, where he joined other Muslim-American doctors to meet Biden and the government, including Vice President Kamala Harris and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. He briefed senior officials about his experience in treating injured and malnourished children during his visit to Gaza. In January.
Bringing “reality” to the White House
“We wanted to give the president the reality,” Tharoor told USA TODAY. “He said he wanted an end to the humanitarian catastrophe and civilian deaths.”
“These stories from the field can move people's hearts,” Tharoor said. “I hope they helped him push for a ceasefire two days later.”
Dr. Seir Ahmad was the only Palestinian American to attend the White House meeting. He made a statement to the president and then asked for a pardon. Asked Friday about Biden's new hardline stance on Israel, he said: “I think they want to see the results on the ground.”
The United Nations reported Thursday night that fighting continues between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants across Gaza, and aid workers in Rafah told USA TODAY that up to 300 explosions could be heard a day. he said.
Martin Indyk, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, wrote on social media that Biden had boxed in Netanyahu by demanding swift and comprehensive change. “And unless we do all this in the coming days, we will condition military aid to the war in Gaza,” Indyk wrote, characterizing Biden’s demands for the Israeli prime minister.
“Bottom line: Bibi is a mess,” Indyk said. “He will have to end this war.”
Contributor: Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY
