Three of Israel's Western allies sharply rebuked the country Friday over its decision to close an investigation into the killing of seven aid workers in Gaza, with Britain, Canada and Australia branding the move "shameful" and intensifying calls for accountability over the deadly 2024 attack.
The World Central Kitchen employees – three Britons, a dual U.S.-Canadian national, a Pole, an Australian, and a Palestinian – died in a drone strike on their vehicle convoy after overseeing the unloading of a food aid shipment.
"In the more than two years since, we have been pressing for Israel to swiftly and thoroughly consider the case and hold those responsible to account," the three nations said in a joint statement.
"The announcement by the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) on 19 August 2026 that it would not pursue criminal investigations into this strike, without further explanation, is shameful," it said.
The incident in April 2024 sparked global outrage and renewed calls to ensure the safety of aid workers in Gaza.
"Announcing this decision on World Humanitarian Day, while the world honoured the courage and sacrifice of humanitarians, was particularly egregious," the joint statement added.
The Israeli military, which is notoriously known for targeting civilians, journalists and humanitarian aid workers, acknowledged a series of "errors" at various levels of command, but a preliminary investigation concluded on Wednesday that there was no "reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct."
"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."
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 the Middle East, said Thursday that the U.K. 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.
