In brief
Three western allies have condemned Israel for deciding not to open a criminal inquiry after seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen were killed in a Gaza convoy strike. The victims included nationals from the UK, Canada, Australia, Poland and the US. The despatchers have demanded accountability and warned Israel that the decision, made on World Humanitarian Day, threatens the safety of future humanitarian efforts.
Three western allies have issued a joint statement calling Israeli decision shaming for refusing to launch a criminal investigation into the April 2024 strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers in Gaza. The victims were three British nationals, a Pole, an Australian, a Canadian, and a dual US‑Canadian citizen.
The statement, issued by the UK, Canada and Australia’s foreign ministries, said, "The victims of this incident and their families deserve justice and accountability, and we will continue to seek answers on their behalf." It added that the timing—on World Humanitarian Day—was particularly egregious.
Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, had defended the decision, noting "there was no criminal intention" and therefore "no criminal responsibility." The IDF denied criminal intent, stating the convoy had deviated from an agreed route and that a guard was misidentified as a Hamas fighter.
While the IDF would not investigate the convoy strike, it announced it would conduct criminal inquiries into the 2024 killing of a 5‑year‑old Palestinian girl and a 2025 massacre of a group of medics in Gaza.
The joint statement also urged Israel to comply with international humanitarian law and do more to protect humanitarian staff, pointing to the broader context of ongoing settlement construction in the West Bank.
