World Central Kitchen founder questions Israeli report on deadly strike on aid convoy in Gaza

Published April 7, 2024
A Palestinian man rides a bicycle past a damaged vehicle where employees from the World Central Kitchen (WCK), including foreigners, were killed in an Israeli airstrike, in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza, Strip on April 2. — Reuters/File
A Palestinian man rides a bicycle past a damaged vehicle where employees from the World Central Kitchen (WCK), including foreigners, were killed in an Israeli airstrike, in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza, Strip on April 2. — Reuters/File

World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres raised questions on Sunday over the Israeli probe into a strike that killed seven of his staff in Gaza, and warned that the conflict had become a “war against humanity itself”.

“I want to thank, obviously, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), for doing such a quick investigation,” the head of the US-based charity told ABC’s “This Week.”

“At the same time, I would say with something so complicated, the investigation should be much more deeper,” he said.

“And I would say that the perpetrator cannot be investigating himself,” he added.

The IDF have insisted that their killing on Monday of the World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza was a “tragic mistake.”

Three Britons, a US-Canadian dual national, a Pole, an Australian and a Palestinian were killed when their convoy, whose route was cleared with the IDF, was repeatedly struck.

In its investigation, the Israeli military said an armed man climbed on the roof of one of the trucks and “started firing his weapon,” leading to suspicions that the “convoy had been hijacked by Hamas.”

When asked about the Israeli report, Andres questioned the narrative, adding that “this is not anymore about the seven men and women of World Central Kitchen that perished in this unfortunate event.”

He charged that Israel was targeting anything that “seems” to move, and has been doing so “for too long.”

“This doesn’t seem like a war against terror. This doesn’t seem anymore like a war about defending Israel,” he said.

“It really, at this point, seems like a war against humanity itself. “

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