Chef José Andrés Mourns the Loss of Seven Humanitarian Workers in Gaza Raid

José Andrés, the Spanish chef and founder of the NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK), vented on social media, accusing Netanyahu's government of perpetuating indiscriminate killings after losing seven humanitarian workers in an Israeli raid on Gaza. The association's volunteers had delivered aid, which arrived by ship, to the population of the Strip a few hours before the explosion. The seven victims were of Australian, Polish, British, Palestinian nationality, and held dual American and Canadian citizenship. In Gaza, 7 humanitarian workers of chef José Andrés were killed as they distributed aid. Iran holds America responsible for the attack on Damascus. "We have lost some of our brothers and sisters in an Israeli raid on Gaza. My heart is broken, and I am mourning for their families, friends, and the entire WCK family," wrote Andrés on X. "The Israeli government must stop these indiscriminate killings. It must stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and humanitarian workers, and stop using food as a weapon. No more innocent lives lost. Peace starts with our common humanity. It must begin now. These are people... angels... with whom I served in Ukraine, Gaza, Turkey, Morocco, Bahamas, Indonesia. They are not faceless... they are not nameless," Andrés remembered. José Ramón Andrés Puerta owns restaurants in various cities across the United States and has won numerous awards, both for his cuisine (including several James Beard Awards) and for his humanitarian work. He is a professor and founder of the Global Food Institute at George Washington University and founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a non-profit organization committed to providing meals in war zones or areas hit by humanitarian disasters. Born and raised in Spain, he is often credited with bringing the concept of dining with "small plates" to America. In 2015, he was awarded a medal during a White House ceremony for his work with World Central Kitchen, and in March 2022, he was named co-chair of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition of the United States. Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Andrés announced that he would donate a portion of the $100 million Courage and Civility award given to him by Jeff Bezos to address the humanitarian crisis in Kyiv.