You will not win a war by starving a people

You will not win a war by starving a people

You cannot win this war by starving an entire people. In the worst circumstances imaginable – after hurricanes, earthquakes, bombs and shootings – the best of humanity always comes out. The seven people killed during the World Central Kitchen mission in Gaza on Monday were among the finest human beings.

They are not anonymous. They are not ordinary relief workers or collateral damage in war. Saif El-Din Issam Ayyad Abu Taha, John Chapman, Jacob Flickinger, Zumi Frankcom, James Henderson, James Kirby, and Damian Sobol risked everything… Yes, the most basic human activity: sharing our food with others. These are the people I served with in Ukraine, Turkey, Morocco, the Bahamas, Indonesia, Mexico, Gaza and Israel. They were much more than heroes. Their work was based on the simple belief that food is a universal human right.

It is not conditional on being good or bad, rich or poor, left-wing or right-wing. We do not ask you which religion you belong to. We're just asking how many servings you need. From day one, we have fed Israelis and Palestinians alike. Across Israel, we have served more than 1.75 million hot meals. We fed families displaced by Hezbollah missiles in the north.

We fed grieving families from the South. We delivered meals to hospitals, where the hostages were reunited with their families. We have constantly, repeatedly and passionately called for the release of all hostages. All the while, we were in extensive contact with Israeli military and civilian officials.

At the same time, we worked closely with community leaders in Gaza, as well as with Arab countries in the region. There was no way to bring a ship full of food to Gaza without doing so. In this way, we have provided more than 43 million meals in Gaza, and prepared hot food in 68 community kitchens where Palestinians feed Palestinians. We know the Israelis. The Israelis know very well that food is not a weapon of war. Today, the Israeli government needs to open more land routes for food and medicine. It must stop killing civilians and aid workers, and begin the long journey towards peace.

In the worst of circumstances, after the worst terrorist attack in its history, it is time for the best of Israel to emerge. You cannot save the hostages by bombing every building in Gaza. You cannot win this war by starving an entire people.

We welcome the government's promise to investigate how and why members of the World Central Kitchen family were killed. This investigation must start at the top, not just at the bottom. Regarding the Israeli forces killing members of our team, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “This happens in war.” It was a direct attack on clearly marked vehicles, and the IDF was aware of their movements. It was also a direct result of a policy that reduced humanitarian aid to desperate levels.

Our team was on its way after delivering nearly 400 tons of aid by sea – our second shipment, funded by the UAE, supported by Cyprus and authorized by the IDF.

Specifically, team members are putting their lives at risk because this food aid is so rare and desperately needed. According to the Global Initiative for Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, half of Gaza's population – 1.1. One million people – facing imminent risk of famine. The team would not have been able to make the trip if there had been enough food, and they travel by truck across the land to feed the people of Gaza. The peoples of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, regardless of race and religion, share a culture that values ​​food as a powerful expression of humanity and hospitality – and our common hope for a better tomorrow.

There's a reason, at this special time of year, Christians prepare Easter eggs, Muslims eat an egg at breakfast, and an egg is placed on the Passover Seder plate (the Passover Seder plate is a special dish containing symbolic foods that are eaten or displayed at Passover ). The symbol of life and hope reborn in spring extends across religions and cultures. Feeding strangers is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength.

Jose Andres*

*Spanish-American chef and founder of World Central Kitchen.

Published by special arrangement with the New York Times.