Chef José Andrés calls Israeli airstrike "unforgivable"
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Chef José Andrés called the Israeli airstrike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers last week "unforgivable," per an ABC interview that aired Sunday.
The big picture: Following the attack, the U.S. is now putting more pressure on Israel, and President Biden, "outraged" over the killing, pushed Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to engage in an "immediate ceasefire."
- Netanyahu has resisted international calls for a ceasefire until Israel has met "all of its goals" in its response to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.
- Israeli Defense Forces called the attack on the World Central Kitchen workers a "grave mistake stemming from a serious failure due to a mistaken identification, errors in decision-making, and an attack contrary to the Standard Operating Procedures."
What they're saying: "This doesn't seem a war against terror. This doesn't seem anymore a war about defending Israel. This really, at this point, seems it's a war against humanity itself," Andrés told "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz.
- The award-winning chef and humanitarian thanked the Israeli Defense Forces for conducting a quick investigation, but also expressed criticism about their efforts saying the probe, "should be much more deeper."
- "I would say that the perpetrator cannot be investigating himself. I would say we need more information. We need to see better quality videos," Andrés said.
- He also called for an independent investigation into the attack, not just for World Central Kitchen but "for every other NGO that has been targeted or has lost members" and so "IDF can learn from it."
Zoom in: Andrés reiterated his belief that the aid workers were "deliberately attacked."
- "The precision, the continuous following over 1.8 kilometers until the three cars were totally destroyed and all the members inside those three. Obviously, this was targeted," he said.
Between the lines: White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said Sunday on "This Week" that "there's gonna have to be some changes to the way the Israeli Defense Forces are prosecuting these operations in Gaza to make sure that this doesn't happen again."
- Kirby said they are looking at the investigation right now and have not come to any conclusions "one way or another."
- He added that they will make sure Israel has "the tools and capabilities they need to defend themselves" and will "hold Israel accountable for the way in which they're conducting these operations."
Go deeper: When José Andrés speaks, Washington listens
