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A day after President Joe Biden said he was “outraged and heartbroken” by an Israeli Defense Force attack that killed seven World Central Kitchen team members distributing food in the Gaza Strip, WCK Founder Jose Andres said in an emotional interview with Reuters. I know that we were deliberately targeted until everyone in this convoy died. ”
Israel expressed “extreme sadness” over the deaths, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacks on aid workers were unintentional.
Asked if he believed the official explanation, the celebrity chef said, “At first I would say a firm no,” saying that WCK had informed the IDF of the move, that it was within IDF-controlled territory, and that the convoy was He reiterated that it clearly had his mark on it. The organization's logo is also featured on the roof of some vehicles.
“This wasn't just an unfortunate situation where you just dropped a bomb in the wrong place,” Andres told Reuters.
“This was over 1.5 to 1.8 kilometers, with very distinct humanitarian convoys with signs on their heads and roofs and very colorful logos,” he said. “It was very clear who we were and what we were doing.”
Andres said he wants an independent investigation by the U.S. government and government into all the aid workers who were killed. The workers were American, Australian, Canadian, British, and Palestinian.
Biden is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday. Yesterday, the US president said the Israeli investigation “must be swift, there must be accountability, and the results must be made public.”
Check out part of Andres' interview below.
Earlier today, the New York Times published an opinion piece written by Andres, in which he wrote: That investigation should start at the top, not just the bottom.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said of Israel's killing of our team, 'That happens in war.' It was a direct attack on a clearly marked vehicle whose movements were known by the Israel Defense Forces.
“Feeding a stranger is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength. In this darkest hour, the people of Israel need to remember what true strength looks like. there is.”
