UK, Canada, Australia slam Israel ending probe into aid worker killings
LONDON: Britain, Canada, and Australia on Friday condemned as “shameful” Israel’s decision to close an investigation into the death of seven aid workers killed in Gaza in 2024.
Britain, Canada, and Australia denounced Israel's decision to terminate an investigation into the deaths of seven aid workers killed in Gaza in 2024, labeling it a "shameful" move. The World Central Kitchen employees, comprising three Britons, a dual US-Canadian national, a Pole, an Australian, and a Palestinian, perished in a drone strike targeting their vehicle convoy.
The aid workers were unloading a food aid shipment when the attack occurred. Israel's military described the incident as a "tragic mistake." Over two years after the tragedy, the three nations criticized Israel for its lack of commitment to a thorough inquiry and accountability, stating that Israel's announcement on August 19, 2026, to cease criminal investigations without further explanation was deeply regrettable.
The incident in April 2024 provoked international outrage and demands for enhanced protection of aid workers in Gaza. Israel's military acknowledged multiple command-level errors but concluded a preliminary investigation without sufficient evidence of criminal misconduct. The Israeli government expressed condolences to the families of the aid workers who died in the tragic circumstances, stating that the decision not to launch a criminal probe was made by Israel's independent military prosecution authorities based on professional and legal considerations.
The US-based World Central Kitchen condemned the decision, calling it inconsistent with the full truth and deeply offensive, and demanded an independent commission to investigate the airstrikes, asserting that the IDF cannot effectively investigate its own conduct.
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