President Biden called chef José Andrés to express his sadness after an Israeli attack caused the deaths of seven aid workers from his charity group, World Central Kitchen, in Gaza.
The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, told reporters that Biden called chef José Andrés to convey his deep sadness about the airstrike that led to the deaths of seven aid workers and to offer his sincerest condolences.
She mentioned that Biden expressed his grief over their deaths. John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, confirmed that one of the seven killed was a dual national American citizen, and said the State Department has reached out to that aid worker's family.
Jean-Pierre said, "The president believed it was important to acknowledge the remarkable contribution World Central Kitchen has made to the people in Gaza and around the world." She added, "The president stated that he will emphasize to Israel the need to protect humanitarian aid workers."
The charity group, which has halted operations in Gaza following the deaths, stated that a team was traveling in an armored convoy and had coordinated with Israel about their movements before the attack.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took responsibility for the strike earlier on Tuesday and said that the Israelis are “conducting a thorough inquiry.”
“This happens in war,” he said in a statement.
Kirby told reporters that World Central Kitchen has been “relentless” in providing aid during the war.
“We were outraged,” Kirby said about hearing the news, noting that more than 200 aid workers have been killed so far in the conflict.
“We expect a broader investigation to be conducted and to be done so in a swift and comprehensive matter. We hope that those findings will be made public and that there is appropriate accountability held,” he said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also offered his condolences in a press conference earlier Tuesday, and said that World Central Kitchen staff have “been doing extraordinary, brave work, day in, day out” in Gaza.
