WASHINGTON – Chef and philanthropist José Andrés calls Israeli military attacks in the Gaza Strip that have killed civilians, including seven World Central Kitchen volunteers, an ongoing “crime against humanity.” said to be equivalent to.
“This has been going on for far too long. It's been going on for six months, targeting anything that moves,” Andres said in an interview on ABC's “This Week” that aired Sunday. Told.
“This no longer appears to be a war on terror. This no longer appears to be a war to defend Israel. At this point, this truly appears to be a war against humanity itself,” Andres said. The beloved celebrity chef tearfully said during an interview:
The aid workers were killed in an Israeli airstrike as their convoy left a warehouse in Deir al-Balah last week. They were coordinating their actions with the Israeli military and were traveling in armored vehicles bearing the World Central Kitchen logo.
Israel called the attack a “grave mistake” and said the military had mistakenly identified World Central Kitchen workers as Hamas gunmen. The Israeli military has fired two officers for their role in the attack.
Andres dismissed Israel's explanation in an interview, telling ABC News: “We can't just drag Hamas into trouble every time something happens.”
Andres' interview took place on the six-month anniversary of Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel that started the Gaza war.
The United States is pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government over the rising number of civilian deaths in Gaza. Some officials have suggested cutting off aid to Israel to build a ceasefire.
President Joe Biden spoke with Andres last week and expressed outrage over the number of deaths at World Central Kitchen. He also stressed that US support in the war in Gaza depends on “immediate” measures to protect civilians and aid workers.
“They were feeding starving civilians in the middle of a war,” Biden said. “They were brave and selfless. Their deaths are a tragedy.”
In an interview with ABC, Andres said the attack was “unforgivable. I have to live with this for the rest of my life.”
Contributors: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswami, Dan Morrison, Sudiksha Kochi, John Bacon
