José Andrés mourns World Central Kitchen workers killed in Israeli airstrike: 'Much more than heroes'

World Central Kitchen Founder José Andrés mourns the death of seven workers killed in an Israeli airstrike while delivering food to starving citizens in Gaza. Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the Israel Defense Forces “unintentionally hit innocent people” and New York Times The post by Andrés remembers the victims as more than “general aid workers or collateral damage of war.”

“In the worst conditions imaginable – after hurricanes, earthquakes, bombs and shootings – the best of humanity emerges. Not once or twice, but always,” Andrés wrote in the article published Wednesday morning. “The seven people killed in a World Central Kitchen mission in Gaza on Monday were the best of humanity. They are not faceless or anonymous.”

Among the seven dead were three members of the WCK relief team, including Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, a 25-year-old from Palestine. Damian Soból, a 35-year-old from Poland. and Jacob Flickinger, a 33-year-old from the US and Canada. Three members of WCK's security team, all from the UK, were also killed. Among them were John Chapman, 57; James Henderson, 33; and James Kirby, 47. Zomi Francom, the 43-year-old head of WCK from Australia, was also killed.

The workers were traveling through a no-conflict zone in two armored cars, both clearly branded with the World Central Kitchen logo, when the attack occurred as the group was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse. They had just unloaded 100 tonnes of food aid, according to a statement issued by the World Central Kitchen on Tuesday morning.

For Andrés – who worked alongside these team members in Ukraine, Turkey, Morocco, the Bahamas, Indonesia, Mexico, Gaza and Israel – they were “more than heroes”. He wrote: “Their work was based on the simple belief that food is a universal human right. It doesn't depend on being good or bad, rich or poor, left or right. We don't ask what religion you belong to. We're just asking how many meals you need.”

The chef added that their aid provided nearly 2 million hot meals alone to people across Israel, while “communicating extensively” with Israeli officials and military forces. “At the same time,” he continued, “we worked closely with community leaders in Gaza, as well as Arab nations in the region. There's no way you can bring a ship full of food to Gaza without doing it.”

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said of the killings of our group by Israel, 'It happens in war.' It was a direct attack on clearly marked vehicles whose movements were known by the Israel Defense Forces,” Andrés explained, adding that the mission itself was so critical because of the very policies that prevent aid from easily entering Gaza. The team was in the process of delivering food that reached a shipment of nearly 400 tons that arrived by sea, the second of its kind.

“Team members put their lives on the line precisely because this food aid is so scarce and desperately needed,” he added. “According to the global initiative Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, half the population of Gaza — 1.1. millions of people — face immediate danger of starvation. The team would not have made the trip if there was enough food, traveling by truck overland, to feed the people of Gaza.”

Netanyahu said the hit would be investigated, saying: “We will do everything possible to prevent this from happening again.” In response, André wrote: “We welcome the government's promise of an investigation into how and why members of our World Central Kitchen family were killed. This research needs to start from the top, not just the bottom.”

“Israel is better than the way this war is being fought. It is better than blocking food and medicine to citizens. It is better than killing workers who had coordinated their movements with the Israel Defense Forces,” he wrote. “The Israeli government must open more land routes for food and medicine today. It must stop killing civilians and aid workers today. The long journey to peace must begin today.”

Andrés continued: “In the worst circumstances, after the worst terrorist attack in its history, it is time for Israel's best to come forward. You can't save the hostages by bombing every building in Gaza. You can't win this war by starving an entire population.”