![Bodies of foreign employees of the US-based international volunteer aid organization World Central Kitchen (WCK), who were killed after an Israeli attack on a vehicle belonging to WCK, are taken to En-Neccar Hospital in Rafah city, Gaza on April 03, 2024. [Yasser Qudaih - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AA-20240403-34171795-34171791-FOREIGN_EMPLOYEES_OF_INTERNATIONAL_AID_ORGANIZATION_KILLED_IN_ISRAELI_ATTACK_ON_GAZA.jpg?fit=920%2C613&ssl=1)
The UK, Australia and Canada on Friday called Israel’s decision not to pursue a criminal investigation into the deadly 2024 strike on a World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy in Gaza “shameful.”
In a joint statement, the foreign ministries of the three countries said they spent more than two years pressing Israel to swiftly and thoroughly examine the case and hold those responsible to account.
“The announcement by the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) on 19 August 2026 that it would not pursue criminal investigations into this strike, without further explanation, is shameful,” the statement said.
The statement noted that the announcement on World Humanitarian Day, when the world honored the courage and sacrifice of humanitarians, was “particularly egregious.”
“This decision is both too little, and too late. The victims of this incident and their families deserve justice and accountability, and we will continue to seek answers on their behalf.”
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The countries called on Israel to comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law, and said it must do more to ensure that humanitarian workers can carry out their duties safely.
“The World Central Kitchen attack is one of countless incidents in Gaza where there has been no accountability,” said the statement, recalling that Gaza remains the deadliest place to deliver aid, with 186 humanitarian workers killed in 2025.
Meanwhile, Stephen Doughty, British minister for Middle East, said Thursday that the UK raised this with the Israeli authorities and “will continue to push for urgent answers.”
The Israeli military said on Wednesday that it would investigate two suspected war crimes cases in the Gaza Strip while closing three other high-profile investigations, including the 2024 WCK strike that killed seven aid workers.
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