Israel Closes Investigation Into Killing of Seven Aid Workers in Gaza Strike, WCK Calls Decision “Deeply Offensive”, Australia Summons Ambassador

Gaza (QNN)- The World Central Kitchen (WCK) and Australian officials on Wednesday condemned the Israeli military decision not to open a criminal investigation into the April 2024 strike in Gaza that killed seven aid workers, including an Australian citizen, as “deeply offensive". Australia has also summoned the Israeli ambassador.

In April 2024, Israeli forces fired at World Central Kitchen (WCK) vehicles during a humanitarian aid operation in Gaza, killing seven workers.

The seven aid workers trying to deliver much-needed food to Gaza were killed in an Israeli strike in the city of Deir al-Balah on April 1, 2024. The Israeli occupation confirmed its military had carried out “an unintended strike”, hours after WCK said the Israeli military was responsible.

WCK said the workers, three Britons, a Palestinian, a US-Canadian dual citizen, a Pole and an Australian, had been travelling in two armoured cars bearing the charity’s logo, and a “soft-skin vehicle”.

“Despite coordinating movements with the IDF, the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tonnes of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route,” the charity said at that time in a statement.

Israeli military sources told Haaretz that the aid workers’ vehicles had been hit three times by missiles fired from a drone. The strike killed all of the WCK workers in the convoy.

Following an initial review, two officers were dismissed and three senior commanders reprimanded. The military said that despite "failures" in assessing that Hamas members were in the vehicles, the commanders' decisions "did not cross the criminal threshold." It concluded there were no grounds for a criminal investigation or further measures

Following the announcement, Australia summoned Israel's ambassador Hillel Newman over the Israeli military's decision. Australian citizen Zomi Frankcom was among the victims of the strike.

“This decision falls far short of the accountability we expect," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, adding that Australia was ⁠outraged by the decision.

"Democracies seek, and accept higher standards. The Australian government will not stop pressing Israel for justice for Zomi and her colleagues."

In her statement, Wong said she had told Australia's envoy in Israel to convey its views directly to the Israeli occupation government as Canberra considers its next steps.

“The investigation had concluded there was no criminal liability for the soldiers involved ‌in the ⁠attack, said Hillel Newman, Israel's ambassador to Australia, although there had been operational failures by the Israeli military.

"It was a mistake, in retrospect, but the findings of the court are that there was no criminal intention, no intention to hit at aid workers, and therefore no criminal responsibility," Newman told ⁠reporters in Canberra after meeting Wong.

In a statement released by the World Central Kitchen organization after the Israeli announcement, it said: "We strongly condemn the Israeli military prosecutor's account of the deaths of our seven colleagues on April 1, 2024. And we fundamentally disagree with their decision about criminal investigations into the IDF airstrikes that killed our team."

The organization added that "There has never been any excuse or justification for the attacks, and there is nothing in this account that does so. The decision is inconsistent with the full truth and deeply offensive."

According to the organization's statement, at the time of the lethal attacks, "the IDF knew that our team in Gaza was unarmed and posing a threat to nobody. It had full visual clarity on our clearly marked humanitarian vehicles during the extended, multiple airstrikes. It knew our team's movements, identities, and activities in advance."

The organization said that the military investigation "conflates different timelines and events, muddies the story and shifts the blame for the IDF's illegal conduct."

The World Central Kitchen immediately filed a complaint with the military after the attack, and demanded the army stop the fire toward its staff, and guarantee their safety when distributing food in the Gaza Strip, which is carried out with full coordination. 

WCK Founder José Andrés added, “There was and never will be any excuse for the attacks on their convoy. We demand truth and justice for them, and for all the humanitarian workers who have been killed in Gaza. We mourn the loss of all lives in this war. Civilians must never be a target of any war.”

The WCK slammed the Israeli attack on the “clearly marked WCK convoy whose movements had been coordinated in advance” and said “full accountability remains incomplete.”