Cleveland, Ohio Local News
‘I’m not surprised:’ Cleveland chef on World Central Kitchen attack
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(WJW) – President Joe Biden is condemning the Israeli defense force for a deadly airstrike in Gaza. The attack killed seven aid workers with the World Central Kitchen. We’re now learning more about the seven people killed while in a convoy after delivering food to Palestinians in the war zone.
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The body of a person wearing a World Central Kitchen t-shirt lies on the ground at the Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Monday, April 1, 2024. World Central Kitchen, an aid group, says an Israeli strike that hit its workers in Gaza killed at least seven people, including several foreigners. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) -
People inspect the site where World Central Kitchen workers were killed in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, April 2, 2024. World Central Kitchen, an aid group, says an Israeli strike that hit its workers in Gaza killed at least seven people, including several foreigners. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) -
FILE – A cargo ship, right, and a ship belonging to the Open Arms aid group, are loaded with 240 tons of canned food destined for Gaza prepare to set sail outside the Cypriot port of Larnaca, Cyprus, on March 30, 2024. World Central Kitchen, the food charity founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, called a halt to its work in the Gaza Strip after an apparent Israeli strike killed seven of its workers, mostly foreigners. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias, File) -
FILE – Jose Andres, a Spanish chef, and founder of World Central Kitchen unloads the humanitarian food packages delivered with WCK’s truck in Kherson, Ukraine, on Nov. 15, 2022. World Central Kitchen, called a halt to its work in the Gaza Strip after an apparent Israeli strike killed seven of its workers, mostly foreigners. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File) -
In this undated photo provided by Free Place Foundation and posted on Facebook on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, Zomi Frankcom of Australia, right, one of the seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen killed by an Israeli air strike in Gaza on Monday, poses for a picture with Mikolaj Rykowski, President of the Free Place Foundation. An Israeli airstrike on aid workers delivering food in Gaza has killed at least seven people. Among the dead are citizens of Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom and a U.S.-Canada dual citizen. (Free Place Foundation’s Facebook via AP) -
Police try to push back people in a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group in Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) -
Police try to push back demonstrators in a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group in Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) -
People march in a rally against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
World Central Kitchen confirms a dual US-Canadian citizen was one of the seven foreign aid workers killed on Monday. There were also members from the UK, Australia, and Poland. The group was leaving a warehouse in a marked vehicle after dropping off humanitarian supplies. The organization said they had communicated travel plans with the IDF prior to the blast.
A number of countries have condemned the Israelis for the strike. President Biden said he is outraged and that Israel is not doing enough to protect aid workers. He is now demanding they do more to increase the flow of humanitarian supplies into Gaza as well as bolster measures to prevent civilian and aid worker deaths.
Israeli officials said the strike was unintentional and they will investigate it.
Cleveland Chef Brandon Chrostowski, who owns Edwins Restaurant in Shaker Square, worked with World Central Kitchen after the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced refugees to flee to Poland.
He shared his opinion with FOX 8 based on what he saw when he volunteered to go to Israel after the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
“I mean they’re human beings, you know you hate to see any life lost but the honest truth is I’m not surprised,” said Chrostowski. “Every day, three times a day, you’re getting shelled, right? It’s just not a matter of if, it’s when.”
Chrostowski said leaders of the charitable organization must bear some of the responsibility for putting the aid workers in harm’s way, by not following accepted practices for delivering aid into a war zone like Gaza and for promoting their humanitarian effort in a very public way, which included the use of social media.
“If it was me, I would feel 100% responsible for that,” said Chrostowski. “If that was my organization and I’m not going to blame the Israelis for this, I’m not going to blame Gaza for this, I’m going to blame myself.”
In a guest essay posted in the New York Times, World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres wrote: “The Israeli government needs to open more land routes for food and medicine today. It needs to stop killing civilians and aid workers today. It needs to start the long journey to peace today.”
Andres called the victims the best of humanity and said he welcomes the government’s promise of an investigation into how this happened.
A number of charities are now putting their delivery of food to Gaza on hold saying it’s too dangerous. The UN said nearly 200 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war.
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Jessica Dill
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