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Probe closed over WCK deaths
Australia, Canada and the UK condemned “Israel’s” decision not to pursue criminal investigations into the deadly attack on a World Central Kitchen convoy in Gaza, calling it “shameful.”
“calling it “shameful.””
The drone strikes in April 2024 killed seven humanitarian workers, and the “Israeli” military described the incident at the time as a “serious mistake and failure,” according to a joint statement issued by the three foreign ministries.
The joint statement said “Announcing this decision on World Humanitarian Day, while the world honoured the courage and sacrifice of humanitarians, was particularly egregious,” and it framed the move as part of a broader pattern of what it described as a lack of accountability for incidents involving humanitarian workers in Gaza.
Roya News reported that the three governments said the decision was part of a broader pattern of what they described as a lack of accountability, and it quoted them saying “It is one of countless incidents in Gaza where there has been no accountability.”
Poland and aid groups react
Poland summoned Israel’s ambassador after Israeli authorities closed proceedings into a 2024 attack that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza, with Polish volunteer Damian Sobol from Przemysl among the dead.
Middle East Eye reported that Deputy Foreign Minister Ignacy Niemczycki said, “We consider this a surprising decision,” and he added, “We believe that the use of force must be proportionate, and that inappropriate use of force should have consequences, so we expect clarification on this matter,” to public radio PR1.
teleSUR reported that Médicos Sin Fronteras condemned Israel for archiving cases related to the killings of its personnel and their families in Gaza without a penal investigation, and it demanded that these cases be reviewed by an “organismo imparcial.”
teleSUR quoted MSF saying, “Esto no es justicia,” and it argued that the facts could constitute “crímenes de guerra en Gaza.”
New criminal probes and disputes
Israel’s military announced its first criminal investigations into troop conduct in Gaza, focusing on the killings of 5-year-old Hind Rajab and her family and of 15 Palestinian paramedics, while it said it would not probe three other attacks that killed aid workers from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders.
“condemned the decision on X as "wrong and painful."”
NPR reported that Chef José Andrés, founder of U.S.-based World Central Kitchen, condemned the decision on X as “wrong and painful,” and it described Hind Rajab’s case as involving a call for help to the Palestinian Red Crescent before she was killed in February 2024.
SANA said the Israeli Army admitted, more than two and a half years later, that its forces fired on the vehicle in which Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, five years old, was traveling in the Gaza Strip, and it said Israel announced an internal criminal investigation into the case.
SANA also reported that the Israeli army said it opened a criminal investigation after reviewing alleged failures in coordinating the transfer of a Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance, quoting the army: “After reviewing the findings and given the alleged failures in coordinating the transfer of a Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance, a criminal investigation was opened into the incident.”