Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an investigation into the death of seven people who worked for chef José Andrés' non-profit, World Central Kitchen (WCK), in Gaza in a "tragic case" after they were "unintentionally" hit by an Israeli attack. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, pointed out that what happened will be studied "at the highest levels" through "an independent, professional and expert body" and praised the organization's work in the conflict, highlighting that it was one of the first to come to the aid of the victims of Oct. 7 and recalled that its members work alongside the Israeli military.
IDF spokesperson, RAdm. Daniel Hagari, spoke with @WCKitchen founder, @chefjoseandres, and expressed the IDF's deepest condolences to the entire World Central Kitchen family.
The work of WCK is critical. pic.twitter.com/nRUYZVxif3
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 2, 2024
'It happens in war'
In a video from the hospital where he underwent surgery for a hernia, Netanyahu insisted on the investigation into "a tragic case of our forces unintentionally hitting innocent people in the Gaza Strip. ... "It happens in war. We are conducting a thorough inquiry and are in contact with the governments. We will do everything to prevent a recurrence," he added.
An investigation announced hours earlier by the IDF spokesperson. Hagari said he had spoken to the founder of WCK, to whom he conveyed the most sincere apologies on behalf of the military, and noted that "we will get to the bottom of this and we will share our findings transparently. ... We have been reviewing the incident at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of what happened and how it happened. We will be opening a probe to examine this serious incident further. This will help us reduce the risk of such an event from occurring again,” he said.
Israel praises WCK
Hagari noted that the incident will be investigated by the General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism, "an independent, professional and expert body," and that the IDF chief of staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, is personally involved in the response to the incident. He also stressed that they will make the results public "as a professional military committed to international law" and emphasized their commitment "to examining our operations thoroughly and transparently."
The spokesperson praised the humanitarian organization, stressing that "For the last few months, the IDF has been working closely with the World Central Kitchen to assist them in fulfilling their noble mission of helping bring food and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. WCK also came to help Israelis after the massacre of Oct. 7; they were one of the first NGOs here." Hagari again insisted that the NGO's work in Gaza is "critical."
