WASHINGTON — World Central Kitchen is calling for an independent investigation following the deaths of its aid workers. The D.C.-based charity lost seven workers to Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.
"An independent investigation is the only way to determine the truth of what happened," World Central Kitchen said in a statement posted to social media in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The team was there serving food to people in the war-torn region. The group says a convoy was hit leaving a warehouse where food and supplies had been unloaded. Israel has admitted fault, calling the incident a case of mistaken identity.
However, the group's founder, Chef José Andrés, says his workers were targeted.
"This was not just bad luck. A situation where, 'Oops! We dropped the bomb the wrong place. IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) knew of our movements. The communication was clear," Andrés said.
Andrés says he doesn't know when World Central Kitchen will resume operations in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the United Nations says it is also suspending the movement of its aid workers at night for 48 hours to consider security issues in the aftermath of the strike. President Joe Biden is also expected to talk to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Thursday about the attack.
The full statement from World Central Kitchen can be found below:
On April 1, 2024, the Israeli Defense Forces killed seven humanitarian aid workers employed by World Central Kitchen (WCK), an internationally recognized humanitarian organization. The aid workers killed were nationals of Australia, Canada/US (dual citizen), Gaza, Poland, and the United Kingdom. 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.”
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.
We have asked the governments of Australia, Canada, the United States of America, Poland, and the United Kingdom to join us in demanding an independent, third-party investigation into these attacks, including whether they were carried out intentionally or otherwise violated international law. Yesterday, to ensure the integrity of the investigation, we asked the Israeli government to immediately preserve all documents, communications, video and/or audio recordings, and any other materials potentially relevant to the April 1 strikes.
An independent investigation is the only way to determine the truth of what happened, ensure transparency and accountability for those responsible, and prevent future attacks on humanitarian aid workers.
RELATED: Bodies of World Central Kitchen aid workers killed by Israeli strikes are transported out of Gaza
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