The founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), Jose Andres, has accused Israel of "systematically" targeting aid workers "car by car" during the strikes that left seven dead on Monday, further straining Western support for Israel's war in Gaza amid mounting international fury over the attack.
In a statement released on Thursday, WCK challenged Israel's response to the attacks, which hit three of its vehicles in central Gaza, and called for an independent inquiry. "Israel has admitted to the killings but called it a 'a tragic event in which our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants,' and something that 'happens in war,'" the non-governmental organization said. "This was a military attack that involved multiple strikes and targeted three WCK vehicles. All three vehicles were carrying civilians; they were marked as WCK vehicles; and their movements were in full compliance with Israeli authorities, who were aware of their itinerary, route, and humanitarian mission."
The strikes killed seven people - three Britons, a Palestinian, a US-Canadian dual citizen, an Australian, and a Pole - setting off fury in their home countries and sparking even greater scrutiny of Israel's conduct in Gaza since it launched its war against Hamas in October.
In an interview with Reuters, Andres accused Israel of "systematically" targeting the seven WCK aid workers, stating, "Even if we were not in coordination with the (Israel Defense Forces), no democratic country and no military can be targeting civilians and humanitarians."
WCK urged the governments of those killed to press for an inquiry and requested that the Israeli government "immediately preserve all documents, communications, video and/or audio recordings, and any other materials potentially relevant" to the strikes to "ensure the integrity" of an investigation.
The chief of staff of the Israeli military, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, previously apologized for the strike, describing it as "a mistake that followed a misidentification." However, Israel's response has exacerbated anger in the home nations of the seven workers killed.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Thursday that Israel's explanation for the strikes was "not good enough," adding, "We need to have accountability for how it's occurred. And what isn't good enough are the statements that have been made, including that this is just a product of war. This is against humanitarian law."
The United States, Israel's most important ally and a supplier of significant military aid, is also closely watching the situation. A Thursday phone call between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be their first conversation since the attacks. A senior official said Biden was "angry" and "increasingly frustrated," and fully prepared to make his feelings known to Netanyahu during the call.
A CNN analysis of aftermath videos and images found that the attack appears to have consisted of multiple precision strikes, with the three vehicles hit by separate strikes at locations up to 2.4 kilometers apart.
In addition to sparking international anger, the strikes have raised concerns that the distribution of food aid in Gaza, which was already extremely limited, will become even more dangerous. A WCK-linked boat carrying roughly 332 tons of humanitarian aid left Gaza without offloading most of its cargo following the deadly Israeli military strike, according to the Cypriot foreign ministry.
The WCK attack is the latest in a series of incidents that have claimed the lives of hundreds of humanitarian workers during Israel's war with Gaza, alongside more than 33,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in the enclave.
As international pressure mounts on Israel to provide a transparent and thorough investigation into the WCK strikes, the incident has further strained Western support for the ongoing war in Gaza and raised questions about the safety of aid workers in the region.
