Live updates: Follow us for updates israel-gaza
Less than a month after an Israeli attack killed seven aid workers, World Central Kitchen called the decision to resume operations in the Gaza Strip “both the most difficult and the simplest.” Chef and founder Jose Andres said Tuesday.
Andres said the organization has 276 trucks with the capacity to serve about 8 million meals ready to enter Gaza through the Rafah border, in addition to more vehicles inside Jordan. It is said that there is.
“Our decision to resume feeding in Gaza is both the most difficult and the simplest we can make,” Andres wrote. The Washington Post.
“The most difficult thing is that it has only been a month since the Israeli military killed seven members of the World Central Kitchen family, yet it is difficult to determine their location, movements, and the nature of their important work. Even though I knew it.
“Still, it was an easy decision for us because the need is so great.”
World Central Kitchen on Monday resumed humanitarian work with Palestinian teams to combat widespread hunger in Gaza, the organization said.
On April 1, Israeli forces launched a series of attacks against WCK convoys, killing seven aid workers traveling in the three-vehicle convoy.
Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, a Palestinian; Jacob Flickinger is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada. Larzaumi Francome from Australia. Damian Sobol, a Polish national, and three British nationals, John Chapman, James Kirby, and James Henderson, were killed.
The killing sparked condemnation around the world, including President Joe Biden, who said he was “outraged and heartbroken” by the attack. He later threatened that U.S. aid to Israel could change if it did not step up its response to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
After the attack, WCK ceased operations in the enclave.
The celebrity chef wrote in an op-ed that aid workers in the Gaza Strip still have a “limited understanding at best” of how they are protected during their work, but there are signs that not much has changed on the ground. said.
“We expect and insist that the Israel Defense Forces protect and respect the lives and work of Palestinian team members in the same way as they would the citizens of any other country,” Andres wrote.
“Since April 1, there have been multiple reports of other convoys being exposed to artillery fire, indicating that little has changed to strengthen defenses.”
According to the United Nations, 224 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since the war began on October 7.
After the attack, Israel apologized and said its military had mistakenly attacked the convoy as carrying members of an armed group.
The United Nations and other aid agencies say the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire and famine is looming as Israel restricts the entry of aid.
Andres said WCK convoys carrying food have been held up by Israeli authorities “for hours on end” despite coordination.
A memorial service was held in Washington last week to remember those who died in the strike. In his speech at the ceremony, Andres said there was “no excuse” for the killing and that Israel's official explanation was “not sufficient.”
He said his organization is calling for an independent investigation into what happened.
The Biden administration has been urging Israel for several months to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
It is also trying to broker a ceasefire for at least six weeks that would allow the hostages to be released and Palestinians to return home.
But Biden, who is running for re-election in November, has also pledged support for Israel, providing military, political and diplomatic support, even as the death toll in the Gaza Strip continues to rise. I'm sticking to it.
Pressure is mounting on Biden to help Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu protect civilians and allow more aid into the country. There are also calls for the United States to attach conditions to military aid to Israel.
“We also expect the Biden administration to hold the Netanyahu administration to its commitments on humanitarian assistance,” Andres wrote.
Updated: April 30, 2024, 6:13 p.m.
