UK, Australia, Canada call Israel’s decision to close World Central Kitchen strike probe ‘shameful’

UK, Australia, Canada call Israel’s decision to close World Central Kitchen strike probe ‘shameful’

Israel urged to comply with international humanitarian law, ensure humanitarian workers can operate safely

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 had 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 three 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 statement came after the Israeli military said 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.