The seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK) who were killed in war-torn Gaza earlier this week in an Israeli airstrike were targeted "systematically, car by car", blamed Jose Andres, celebrity chef and the founder of charity group WCK. Andres charged that Israel Defence Forces (IDF) knew the movement of his aid workers and the whereabouts of the convoy.
"This was not just a bad luck situation where ‘oops’ we dropped the bomb in the wrong place," Andres said during an interview with Reuters.
"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 colourful logo that we are obviously very proud of," he said, adding "It's “very clear who we are and what we do.”
The charity founder called for an investigation of the incident by the US government and by the home country of every aid worker killed in the attack. The Israeli airstrike on the WCK convoy had killed citizens of Australia, Britain and Poland as well as Palestinians and a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.
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They were killed in the airstrike shortly after they oversaw the unloading of 100 tons of food brought to Gaza by sea.
"They (IDF) were targeting us in a deconflicting zone, in an area controlled by IDF. They knowing that it was our teams moving on that road ... with three cars," he said.
The IDF said in a statement said it voiced "sincere sorrow" over the incident while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that they were "unintentionally harmed".
"Initially, I would say categorically no," Andres said while rejecting the assertion.
"Even if we were not in coordination with the (Israel Defense Forces), no democratic country and no military can be targeting civilians and humanitarians," he added.
The chef also said that the US needs to do more to stop the war.
"The U.S. must do more to tell Prime Minister Netanyahu this war needs to end now," he said and questioned the Biden administration moves to supply aid in Gaza while also arming Israel.
"It's very complicated to understand ... America is going to be sending its Navy and its military to do humanitarian work, but at the same time weapons provided by America ... are killing civilians," he said.
He also wondered how Netanyahu could wage a war to save the hostages "when they may be dying under the rubble of the same weapons" Israel used against Palestinians.