UK, Canada and Australia condemn Israel for refusing criminal probe into aid worker killings in Gaza

The UK, Canada and Australia have described as "shameful" Israel's decision not to launch a criminal investigation into strikes on a World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy in Gaza in 2024, which killed seven humanitarian workers.

The victims were three British nationals, a Pole, an Australian, a Canadian and a dual US-Canadian citizen.

A joint statement by the three foreign ministries said: "The victims of this incident and their families deserve justice and accountability, and we will continue to seek answers on their behalf."

Earlier, Israel's ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, defended the decision, saying "there was no criminal intention" and therefore "no criminal responsibility".

The statement said that on 1 April 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fired on the WCK convoy as it was delivering food to civilians in Gaza.

"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," it said.

The three countries said the fact that Israel's announcement came on World Humanitarian Day, "while the world honoured the courage and sacrifice of humanitarians, was particularly egregious".

It also said the WCK attack was only "one of countless incidents in Gaza where there has been no accountability", as Gaza remains "the deadliest place to deliver aid", with 186 humanitarian workers killed in 2025.