Gaza aid workers’ deaths: UK, Canada, Australia condemn Israel’s action to end probe
The decision by Israel’s military to end a criminal probe into the killing of seven aid workers in Gaza has drawn strong condemnation from Britain, Canada and Australia, which have demanded greater accountability over the 2024 strike.
The World Central Kitchen workers – three Britons, a dual U.S.-Canadian national, a Pole, an Australian and a Palestinian – were killed when an Israeli drone struck their convoy after they supervised the unloading of food aid.
In a joint statement, Britain, Canada and Australia described the decision not to pursue criminal investigations as “shameful”, saying they had repeatedly urged Israel to conduct a full investigation and hold those responsible accountable.
Poland also expressed disappointment and summoned Israel’s ambassador in Warsaw over the decision. The government had raised concerns over the steps taken to establish what caused the incident and confirmed that its own investigation was underway. It also called on Israel to provide Polish investigators with relevant information and materials.
Polish Deputy Foreign Minister, Ignacy Niemczycki, said Warsaw considered the decision surprising and expected further clarification. The Israeli military acknowledged several errors at different levels of command but said its preliminary investigation found no “reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct”.
Britain, Canada and Australia also criticised the timing of the announcement, saying it was particularly troubling that it came on World Humanitarian Day. Israel maintains that its military operations in Gaza target Hamas fighters and says it investigates some incidents involving civilian casualties.
