Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
5 April 2024 | 15:30 CAT
2 min read

Seven workers from the relief organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed in a targeted attack by Israeli forces in central Gaza, prompting widespread condemnation and leading the charity to halt its operations in the area.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu characterised the airstrike as “unintended and tragic”. WCK, a US-based nonprofit founded in 2010 by Michelin-starred chef Jose Andres and his wife Patricia Fernandez de la Cruz, specialises in providing food aid during conflicts and disasters worldwide, often serving as first responders.

Dr James M. Dorsey emphasised that Michelin-starred chef Jose Andres is a personal friend of US President Joe Biden, which is why the Biden administration is so outraged.

Dorsey explained that since the killing of the World Kitchens aid workers, Biden essentially read the riot act to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in terms of insisting on the immediate increase of the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, protection of civilians and an immediate ceasefire.

“There is no doubt the killing was deliberate, but then what is deliberate by whom? Is there an Israeli policy that comes from the top down to target aid workers, or are these decisions that were taken at some intermediate level or level on the ground? Most probably, what happened is the second option, but whichever way it goes, this has been a watershed in the Gaza war, assuming that Biden follows through on what were threats on Netanyahu if he doesn’t comply,” he said.

Dorsey said the CIA director is travelling to Cairo to hammer out a ceasefire in accordance with Biden’s demands.

“What people perceive as a starvation policy designed to kill people and depopulate Gaza, I think, is a misperception. The starvation policy is a tool in a battle for control of post-war Gaza. Who controls the security of the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza is probably going to play a role on the ground when the guns fall silent,” he said.

Dorsey argues that Netanyahu’s attempts to navigate around both the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas have fallen short. The attack on WCK has compelled Israel to take action, resulting in the opening of additional land border crossings and the Israeli port of Ashdod for the delivery of humanitarian aid by sea.

Speaking on the recent attack on the diplomatic mission in Damascus, Dorsey suggests that Iran now faces a dilemma. They must navigate a response carefully to avoid escalating hostilities further, which poses a challenge in ensuring a measured reaction that doesn’t lead to a significant escalation.

“It cannot be seen not responding because then it would be viewed as weak by its own population and non-state allies,” he said.

According to Dorsey, Israel recently enacted a law enabling it to ban media organisations deemed a threat to national security, with Al Jazeera being the primary target. He believes this strategy is doomed to fail.

“Israel is fighting two wars, on the ground and an information war, and there is no doubt that Israel has lost that war with no chance of gaining the upper hand. The Israelis, over a number of years, have been very successful, particularly in the US and Europe, in identifying criticism of Israel as expressions of anti-Semitism, which is nonsensical, of course,” he said.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Junaid Kharsany and Dr James M. Dorsey, here.