World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés on Sunday publicly accused Israel of waging a "war against humanity" in Gaza and questioned its conclusion that the drone attack that killed seven of his charity's aid workers was a "grave mistake."
In a video clip released by ABC News, Andrés said the issue was "not anymore about the seven men and women of World Central Kitchen that perished in this unfortunate event" and said Israel had spent "six months of targeting anything that seems moves."
"This doesn't seem a war against terror. This doesn't seem anymore a war about defending Israel," the celebrity chef said. "This really, at this point, seems it's a war against humanity itself."
He spoke out as the Israeli military said Sunday that it had withdrawn all but one brigade from Gaza, six months after the surprise Oct. 7 attacks against Israel by Hamas led Israel to invade in an effort to destroy the group, which the U.S. has labeled a terrorist organization.
During an exclusive interview with Andrés, ABC "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz asked about the findings released Friday by the Israeli military, which called the killings of the aid workers "a grave mistake stemming from a serious failure due to a mistaken identification, errors in decision-making, and an attack contrary to the Standard Operating Procedures."
Two high-ranking Israeli military officers, a major and reserve colonel, were fired and three other commanders were officially reprimanded, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Andrés thanked the IDF for conducting "such a quick investigation" but said it wasn't enough.
"I will say something so complicated, the investigation should be much more deeper," he said. "And I would say that the perpetrator cannot be investigating himself."
Andrés also challenged Israel's assertion that one Israeli commander "mistakenly assumed" Hamas militants were inside the World Central Kitchen convoy that was attacked.
"Every time something happens, we cannot just be bringing Hamas into the equation," he said.
Israel has been widely condemned over Monday's incident, with President Joe Biden saying he was "outraged and heartbroken" over the slayings of the "brave and selfless" aid workers before telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the situation in Gaza was "unacceptable."
