UK calls for accountability into 2024 Israeli strike that killed 7 aid workers

Two years after an Israeli strike in Gaza killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British citizens, the UK government has renewed its call for transparency and accountability, Anadolu reports.

Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer said the families of Armed Forces veterans John Chapman, James Henderson, and James Kirby have spent two years seeking answers about the attack, which targeted a convoy delivering food to civilians.

“For two years, the families have sought answers. The UK government has pressed Israel at the highest level for answers. Israel has a responsibility to provide these,” Falconer said in a statement published on Wednesday.

Falconer described the attack as “appalling” and emphasized that no aid worker should be killed while providing lifesaving care in the most dire conditions.

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He paid tribute to the bravery of World Central Kitchen staff and noted that more than 500 aid workers have died in Gaza since Oct. 2023, making it one of the most dangerous places in the world for humanitarian workers before the ceasefire.

“I urge Israel to swiftly conclude and publish their findings into this attack. The families of those killed must know why this happened. Lessons must be learnt. A tragedy like this must never happen again,” Falconer said.

The April 1, 2024, strike killed seven aid workers, including three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national, a US-Canadian dual citizen, and a Palestinian.

The incident drew international condemnation, with World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres and others disputing Israel’s claim that the attack was a “mistake” or a case of “misidentification.”

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