Celebrity Chef Jose Andres is mourning the loss of his aid workers, some of whom he had worked with in other conflict zones. He’s also angry with what’s followed after. “They were targeted systematically, car by car,” he told Reuters in an interview. “At the time this looks like it’s not a war against terrorism anymore. It seems it’s a war against humanity itself.”
The founder of World Central Kitchen has categorically rubbished Israel’s claims that the bombing of the convoy was an accident.
The aid organisation that lost seven aid workers, including foreign nationals on April 1, said the Israeli military knew of the movements of the aid convoy. Andres is convinced his crew was targeted. “The IDF knew of our movements. The de-conflicting (zone) was clear, the route was clear, the communication was clear.”
The aid workers had just finished supervising the unloading of 100 tons of food brought to Gaza by sea when their convoy came under fire. Israel’s military expressed ‘sincere sorrow’ and PM Netanyahu called the strikes ‘unintentional’. Netanyahu also said, “This happens in war. We are conducting a thorough inquiry and are in contact with the governments. We will do everything to prevent a recurrence.”
There’s been global condemnation of the airstrike on humanitarian workers and Australian PM Anthony Albanese has called Israel’s explanation ‘not good enough’. “There have been too many innocent lives lost in Gaza. It shouldn’t be the case that innocent Palestinians or people assisting them are made to pay the price for the actions of the terrorist group Hamas,” said Australian PM Anthony Albanese.
World Central Kitchen has suspended operations in Gaza. This comes even as the people of Gaza are staring at a famine. Jose Andres also has a message for Netanyahu. “How is it possible that since this war is waged to save Israeli hostages, some of them of different nationalities, children, that they are somewhere in Gaza and that they have the right to be free and liberated. But how are you going to be given an opportunity for them to be free and safe when they may be dying under the rubble of the same weapons Israel is using to wage this war. Weapons at the times they’ve been provided by America itself,” Andres has questioned.
PM Netanyahu faces some tough questions not just from the global community but also within. His war cabinet colleague Benny Gantz has pushed for elections to be held in September before the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks.
