Celebrity chef Jose Andres told Reuters in an emotional interview on Wednesday that the Israeli airstrike that killed seven of his World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza had been deliberately targeted, and he rejected Israeli and U.S. assertions that it was a mistake.
"This was not just a bad luck situation where 'oops' we dropped the bomb in the wrong place or, no. This was over a 1.5-1.8 kilometers, with a very defined humanitarian convoy that had signs in the top, in the roof, a very colorful logo that we are obviously very proud of. but it's very. But it's very clear who we are and what we do."
Andres said his charity group had clear communication with the Israeli military, which he said was aware of the convoy's whereabouts, and he called for investigations by the U.S. government and home countries of every aid worker that was killed.
"If we were targeted this way, I need to understand that this was not vicious. I need to understand that this was not by somebody that is above law and order that decided just to kill us because, I don't know, maybe because I did that tweet that was very strong against President Netanyahu. I don't know. Obviously that's why we need to have an investigation that is neutral and is above IDF. [FLASH] But what I know is that we were targeted deliberately nonstop until everybody was dead in this convoy."
The aid workers were killed when their convoy was hit shortly after they oversaw the unloading of 100 tons of food brought to Gaza by sea.
Israel's military expressed (quote) "severe sorrow" over the incident and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it unintentional.
"The U.S. must do more to tell Prime Minister Netanyahu this war needs to end now."
A U.S. official said President Joe Biden, who spoke to Andres on Tuesday, will speak by phone with Netanyahu on Thursday. The White House has described Biden as outraged by the attack but the president has made no fundamental change in support for Israel in its war in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the State Department said the U.S. wants a swift Israeli investigation into the incident.
Here's State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller:
"It doesn't really matter how they made the mistake. At the end of the day, you have seven dead aid workers who were there trying to deliver humanitarian assistance. So whatever the reason was that led to this tragedy, whatever the mistake that happened inside the IDF, it's unacceptable."
Andres said his organization was still studying the safety situation in Gaza as it considers starting aid deliveries again. He also condemned the war as a whole, noting that at least 196 humanitarian workers have been killed in Gaza since October, according to the United Nations.
"At the time this looks like it's not a war against terrorism anymore. It seems that it's a war against humanity itself. You cannot be fighting the basis of what humanity should be standing for."
