WASHINGTON – Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will represent the Biden administration on Thursday at a memorial service for the seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian workers killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza this month.
The American celebrity-run charity Chef José Andréswill host an interfaith service at the Washington National Cathedral to “honor our heroes,” according to a press release from the group.
Curtis Ried, chief of staff and executive secretary of the White House National Security Council, is also expected to attend.
President Joe Biden will travel to Syracuse, New York, for an economic event on Thursday and will not be able to attend, although he will send a letter to be read, according to national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris reached out to Andres to express their condolences after the first responders were killed on April 1.
One of the seven employees, Jacob Flickinger, had dual American and Canadian citizenship. Others came from Britain, Australia and Poland, along with a Palestinian driver. Biden publicly said he was “outraged” by their deaths.
The Israeli military has released a preliminary investigation into how the army attacked humanitarian workers, calling it a “serious mistake.” The investigation found that “the incident should not have occurred” and that those who authorized the strike “were convinced that they were targeting armed Hamas operatives and not WCK employees.”
The White House has not yet provided a review of that report and said it was still reviewing the findings, a U.S. official said.
WCK has called for an independent investigation.
Before the strike, WCK was poised to be a key partner in providing and distributing aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, many of whom face the threat of famine, according to experts. Since the aid workers were killed, the humanitarian group has withdrawn all its operations in Gaza and has not said when it might resume them.
Thursday’s memorial service will include a performance by famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and several faith leaders will provide remarks.
Emhoff teamed up with Andrés to host an event at the White House in February aimed at eradicating hunger and promoting healthy eating across the country.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
