The seven people working with World Central Kitchen in Gaza who were killed April 1 had just delivered food to a warehouse.
“The 7 people killed on a WCK mission in Gaza on Monday were the best of humanity. They are not faceless or nameless. They are not generic aid workers or collateral damage in war,” said Bethesda resident Chef José Andrés, who started World Central Kitchen.
The team was traveling in two armored cars that were branded with the WCK logo at the time. The convoy was hit as it left a warehouse and unloaded 1,000 tons of food, according to a WCK post on social media.
World Central Kitchen is pausing operations in the region and looking into whether to return.
Andrés called it a targeted attack by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
IDF Chief of the General Staff LTG Herzi Halevi called it “a grave mistake,” adding, “I want to be very clear—the strike was not carried out with the intention of harming WCK aid workers. It was a mistake that followed a misidentification—at night during a war in very complex conditions. It shouldn’t have happened.”
“These are the heroes of WCK. These 7 beautiful souls were killed by the IDF in a strike as they were returning from a full day's mission. Their smiles, laughter, and voices are forever embedded in our memories.” – Erin Gore, CEO. Read more: https://t.co/4f38RQ1l4I pic.twitter.com/neAsSzKVP5
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) April 2, 2024
“I want to be very clear—the strike was not carried out with the intention of harming WCK aid workers. It was a mistake that followed a misidentification—at night during a war in very complex conditions. It shouldn’t have happened.”
Watch the full statement by IDF Chief of the… pic.twitter.com/JnvoJOTVg9
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 2, 2024
