WASHINGTON: Celebrity chef Jose Andres told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday that an Israeli attack that killed seven of his food aid workers in Gaza had targeted them 鈥渟ystematically, car by car.鈥�
Speaking in a video interview, Andres said the World Central Kitchen (WCK) charity group he founded had clear communication with the Israeli military, which he said knew his aid workers鈥� movements.
This was not a 鈥渂ad luck situation where, 鈥榦ops,鈥� we dropped the bomb in the wrong place,鈥� Andres said. 鈥淓ven if we were not in coordination with the (Israel Defense Forces), no democratic country and no military can be targeting civilians and humanitarians.鈥�
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鈥檚 military expressed 鈥渟evere sorrow鈥� over the incident and Prime Minister Netanyahu called it unintentional.
Andres said he was supposed to be in Gaza with his team but for different reasons 鈥渨asn鈥檛 able to go back again to Gaza.鈥�