Britain, Australia and Canada have condemned as “shameful” the Israeli military authorities’ decision not to open a criminal investigation into the April 2024 airstrike that killed seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian workers in Gaza.
The three governments said the victims and their families deserved justice and accountability. Their staff were among those killed, while Poland separately expressed disappointment and urged Israeli authorities to cooperate with Polish investigations because Polish volunteer Damian Soból was also a casualty.
What the Israeli military decided
The Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday that its troops had mistaken people in the vehicles for armed Hamas operatives and that the convoy had deviated from a previously coordinated route. It concluded that the commanders’ decisions did not create reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct.
Two officers were removed from their positions at the time and three others were reprimanded. The IDF said it examines exceptional incidents during combat under international and Israeli law, but the decision means the World Central Kitchen strike will not receive a criminal investigation.
Related coverage: Military investigation announced more than two years after Gaza child’s death.
Why the governments and families object
The joint statement said the decision was “too little, and too late” and argued that the attack was one of many incidents in Gaza without accountability. Australia’s government later expressed outrage, while relatives of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom criticised what they described as an internal and opaque process.
The UK Foreign Office said it was appalled and angry for the families of John Chapman, James Henderson and James Kirby, the three British citizens killed. Poland’s government said it was very disappointed and called for cooperation with its own investigations. Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, defended the decision.
What World Central Kitchen says happened
World Central Kitchen said its vehicles had been coordinated with the military and carried the organisation’s logo on their roofs, visible from the air. The organisation said there was no excuse or justification for the attacks and called the military account inconsistent with the full truth.
More context: Israeli minister urges killing 30 to 40 Palestinians nightly in Gaza.
The joint statement also said humanitarian workers continued to operate in perilous conditions despite a fragile ceasefire. It cited 186 humanitarian workers killed in Gaza in 2025.
Other investigations mentioned
The Israeli military said it had ordered a criminal investigation into the 2024 killing of five-year-old Hind Rajab and six family members, as well as the fatal shooting of 15 paramedics in 2025. Hind Rajab died after a three-hour phone call to the Palestinian Red Crescent while seeking rescue from a car struck as the family tried to flee an offensive into Gaza City.
The IDF had repeatedly denied its troops were near that incident, but investigations by media and others found evidence that strongly suggested nearby Israeli tanks were responsible. Experts cited in the source material said criminal misconduct investigations into Israeli troops over Palestinian deaths very rarely lead to convictions.
Also read: Gaza ceasefire remains stalled after Netanyahu-Kushner meeting.
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