At the daily press briefing of the Israel PMO the main topic was the tragic and accidental deaths of the seven members of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) by friendly fire of the Israeli Defense Force on Monday night in Gaza. Their deaths shook the entire world far beyond Gaza where they were handling feeding the citizens including the group’s founder José Andrés
President Joe Biden a close personal friend of Andres called him to offer his condolences and to assure him that the U.S. will work closely with Israel to make sure humanitarian aid workers would be protected. During today’s Israeli PMO briefing a spokeswoman Ilana Stein confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized via phone to Andres and assured him that everything that could be done to protect aid workers would be done.
תדרוך יומי באנגלית 3.4.24 from Mizmor Productions LIVE on Vimeo.
Andrés the founder of WCK Washington, D.C. based international charity providing food to displaced people from war as well as weather related disasters. Chief Andres penned an op-ed in the New York Times titled Let People Eat, expressing his feelings that Israel can and should do better while also praising those who were killed.
The Associated Press is reporting the WCK is immediately suspending operations in Gaza and said it would reevaluate its work in the region. For the moment 240 tons of food aid set to be delivered by cargo ship were sent back to Cyprus. The WCK was in Israel to feed familes not long after the October 7th Hamas raid that started the war and they were very important in Gaza giving aid to those who needed it most while keeping Hamas from stealing the provisions.
It is hoped that the WCK can start working back in Gaza soon with IDF protection from Hamas.
