Chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen organization has confirmed the tragic deaths of seven of its members in an airstrike carried out by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza on April 1.
In a statement released on April 2, WCK identified the deceased as Saifeddin Issam Avad Abutaha, 25, from Palestine; Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom, 43, from Australia; Damian Soból, 35, from Poland; Jacob Flickinger, 33, from the United States and Canada; John Chapman, 57, from the United Kingdom; James “Jim” Henderson, 33, from the U.K.; and James Kirby, 47, from the U.K. The not-for-profit organization, founded by the Spanish American chef, is dedicated to alleviating hunger and providing meals in conflict zones.
President Joe Biden expressed his dismay over the deaths, stating, “They were providing food to hungry civilians in the middle of a war. They were brave and selfless. Their deaths are a tragedy.”
On April 1, Andrés shared his grief on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, saying, “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.”
In an op-ed for the New York Times published on April 3, Andrés called for a more humane approach to the conflict, stating, “Israel is better than the way this war is being waged.”
WCK stated that its members were traveling in a “deconflicted zone” in two armored cars marked with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle when they were struck. The convoy was hit “despite coordinating movements with the IDF,” as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the members had unloaded over 100 tons of humanitarian food aid.
“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 IDF acknowledged the deaths in an initial statement on April 1, noting that it would conduct a “thorough review at the highest levels.”