Biden calls out Israel’s humanitarian record after World Central Kitchen strike
Earlier in the day, the president had called chef José Andrés to convey his grief.
President Joe Biden offered a decidedly sharp rebuke of Israeli military operations on Tuesday evening following a deadly airstrike in Gaza that killed seven aid workers with the World Central Kitchen.
In a statement put out by the White House, Biden said he was “outraged and heartbroken” by the killings, demanding a “swift” investigation into them that would “bring accountability.” The findings of that investigation, he added “must be made public.”
From there, he took aim at Israel’s military conduct in Gaza, portraying it as far too indifferent to the humanitarian tragedy it was producing.
“This is not a stand-alone incident,” Biden said. “This conflict has been one of the worst in recent memory in terms of how many aid workers have been killed. This is a major reason why distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza has been so difficult — because Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians. Incidents like yesterday’s simply should not happen. Israel has also not done enough to protect civilians. The United States has repeatedly urged Israel to deconflict their military operations against Hamas with humanitarian operations, in order to avoid civilian casualties.”
The statement was a remarkable diplomatic reprimand — one that provided a rare illustration of the fissures erupting between the Israeli government and its U.S. counterparts.
Earlier in the day, the president had called chef José Andrés after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that an “unintentional” Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed workers with Andrés’ U.S.-based nonprofit that provides meals to civilians amid conflict and natural disasters. The charity has since halted delivery of vital food aid to Gaza, as the humanitarian crisis in the region worsens.
Biden “conveyed” his grief in the call and recognized the “tremendous contribution” of the organization, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at Tuesday’s press briefing.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, who also appeared at the briefing on Tuesday, said the U.S. expects the broader investigation to be conducted in a “swift and comprehensive manner,” and for the results to be released publicly. He also said at this time, there was “no evidence” that the strike was “deliberate.”
“We were outraged to learn of an IDF strike that killed a number of civilian humanitarian officers yesterday from the World Central Kitchen, which has been relentless in working to get food to those who are hungry in Gaza,” Kirby said.