President Joe Biden stated in a message on Tuesday night that he is deeply upset and saddened by the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen volunteers, including an American citizen, who were killed by an IDF air strike while delivering food to civilians in Gaza on Monday. In very strong language, the President also criticized Israel’s actions in its conflict with Hamas, stating that the country has not done enough to protect aid workers who are trying to deliver much-needed help to civilians and has also not done enough to protect civilians.
Israel’s investigation into the killings “must be swift, must bring accountability,” and also “its findings must be made public,” Biden added.
Biden also said that the U.S. “will continue to do all we can to deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza,” and pressure Israel to allow such aid through, and announced that U.S. diplomats in Egypt are attempting to broker a hostage deal that includes “an immediate ceasefire.”
Founded in 2010 by Spanish-American chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen has worked to deliver food to affected civilians in some of the worst disasters and war-torn areas around the planet. José Andrés called on the Israeli government to stop causing indiscriminate killings, stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon.
Israel’s IDF stated that it is conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.
I am outraged and heartbroken by the deaths of seven humanitarian workers from World Central Kitchen, including one American, in Gaza yesterday. They were providing food to hungry civilians in the middle of a war. They were brave and selfless. Their deaths are a tragedy. ABC News Israel has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into why the aid workers’ vehicles were hit by airstrikes. That investigation must be swift, it must bring accountability, and its findings must be made public.
Even more tragically, this is not a stand-alone incident. This conflict has been one of the worst in recent memory in terms of how many aid workers have been killed.
President Biden expressed strong anger and sadness about the deaths of seven WCK volunteers in Gaza, stating that Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers or civilians.
Israel has promised to conduct a thorough investigation into why the aid workers’ vehicles were hit by airstrikes. That investigation must be quick, it must assign blame, and its results must be made public.
This conflict has resulted in a high number of aid worker deaths. This is a major reason why delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza has been so challenging, because Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to provide much-needed help to civilians.
The United States is committed to delivering humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza in any way possible. I will continue to urge Israel to make it easier for that aid to reach people. We are also pressing for an immediate ceasefire as part of a hostage deal. We have a team in Cairo working on this right now.
Earlier today, I talked to my friend Chef José Andrés, the creator of World Central Kitchen, to communicate my deepest sympathy for the deaths of these brave aid workers and to show my ongoing support for his and his team’s persistent and courageous efforts to provide food to hungry people worldwide.
May God bless the humanitarian workers who died yesterday and provide comfort to their families and loved ones in their sorrow.
