The United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia issued a joint statement on Wednesday criticizing Israel's decision not to pursue a criminal investigation into the 2024 drone strikes that killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers. The victims included three British nationals, an Australian, a Pole, a Canadian, and a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen. The foreign ministries of the three nations called for justice and accountability, stating that Gaza remains the deadliest location for humanitarian staff.
The deaths occurred on April 1, 2024, when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fired on a WCK convoy delivering food to civilians. In a statement on Wednesday, the IDF acknowledged "serious failures" in the operation but concluded that the actions of the commanders did not meet the legal threshold for criminal misconduct. According to the IDF, an armed guard with the convoy was mistakenly identified as a Hamas fighter, and the military alleged the convoy had deviated from its coordinated route.
Israeli Ambassador to Australia Hillel Newman defended the military's findings, stating there was no evidence of criminal intent. However, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong questioned why three separate strikes occurred minutes apart if the initial incident was an error. Poland's foreign ministry also expressed disappointment and summoned the Israeli ambassador in Warsaw. WCK founder Jose Andres requested an independent commission to investigate, characterizing the IDF decision as incorrect.
The scale of the dispute extends beyond the legal investigation into the WCK strike, as it coincides with broader international disagreement over Israeli land use. The UK recently criticized Israeli plans to open tenders for 1,200 new homes in the E1 area of the West Bank, a project UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described as destructive to peace efforts. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected this, stating the Jewish people have a right to live throughout the land. These overlapping disputes over military accountability and settlement expansion are pressuring diplomatic channels between these nations.
For the international community, the precedent set by this internal IDF investigation may influence how future civilian casualties are handled legally. While the IDF declined to prosecute the WCK incident, it announced on Wednesday that it will launch criminal investigations into other 2024 and 2025 incidents, including the killing of five-year-old Hind Rajab and a March 2025 incident involving 15 Palestinians. The WCK case now moves toward further diplomatic pressure, as the three complaining countries stated they would continue to seek answers on behalf of the victims' families. No specific court dates or international tribunal deadlines were reported.