Chef José Andrés Condemns Israel For Killing WCK Staffers

Chef José Andérs is “heartbroken and grieving” after seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers were killed by Israel in Gaza early Tuesday morning.

WCK said its members were traveling in a “deconflicted zone” in two armored cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle when they were struck. I Photo: World Central Kitchen Facebook

WCK, the not-for-profit organization founded by the Spanish-American chef, provides fresh meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises, per its official website, Joy Saha reported for Salon.

In a statement posted Monday on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter), Andrés wrote, “I am heartbroken and grieving for their families and friends and our whole WCK family. These are people…angels…I served alongside in Ukraine, Gaza, Turkey, Morocco, Bahamas, Indonesia. They are not faceless…they are not nameless.”

He added: “The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon. No more innocent lives lost. Peace starts with our shared humanity. It needs to start now.”

The group explained in a separate statement that its members were traveling in a “deconflicted zone” in two armored cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle when they were struck.

“This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” said World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore.

The seven members killed were from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, a dual citizen of the US and Canada, and Palestine. Reporting for the LA Times, Nabih Bulos and Laura King said the Israeli atrocity compelled the furious Andres to suspend its aid missions to Gaza.

WEEKLY FEATURE : Jose Mari Chan And The Christmas Anthem