Canada, Australia criticize Israel for closing WCK strike case
by Darryl Coote · UPIAug. 20 (UPI) -- Canada and Australia criticized Israel on Thursday for deciding against criminal prosecutions related to an April 2024 strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen workers.
"Serious failures were identified in the conduct of the strike, and closing the case without further accountability leaves their families without the answers they have sought for more than two years," Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand of Canada said in a statement, saying it was "unacceptable" to decide against the pursuit of a criminal investigation.
"Humanitarian workers delivering food and other life-saving assistance in conflict zones must be protected. Canada expects international humanitarian law to be upheld and will continue pressing for a full accounting of what happened, along with justice for the seven workers who were killed and their families."
Canadian citizen Jacob Flickinger, Australian citizen Zomi Frankcom and five other workers of the U.S.-based World Central Kitchen were killed on April 1, 2024, when an Israeli airstrike struck their vehicle south of Central Gaza's Deir al-Balah.
The Israel Defense Forces released a statement following the completion of a fact-finding assessmment into the strike determining that while mistakes were made, there were no grounds for criminal prosecution.
"Following review of all findings of the factual assessment, it was determined that, notwithstanding serious failures in the process that led to the assessment that Hamas operatives were traveling in the vehicles, the decisions of the commanders did not raise reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct," it said.
"Accordingly, it was determined that there is no reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct that would justify the opening of a criminal investigation or the taking of additional measures against any of those involved in the incident, beyond those described above."
According to the report, the strike was ordered after Israeli forces saw armed men associated with WCK vehicles transporting humanitarian aid in Gaza and determined they were Iran-backed Hamas operatives, when they were, in fact, an armed security force hired to protect the convoy.
The finding states that the presence of the armed security force in the organization's vehicles was not coordinated with the IDF, which believed that Hamas operatives had taken control of the convoy.
"The IDF mistakenly believed that the vehicles contained Hamas military operatives and therefore struck the vehicles," it said.
In response to the strike, two IDF officers were removed from their positions and three others were formally reprimanded, it said.
Following the release of the report, WCK condemned Israel for the strike and said it "fundamentally" disagreed with its decision against pursuing criminal investigations.
"There has never been any excuse or justification for the attacks, and there is nothing in this account that does so," it said in a statement, adding that it will continue to demand an independent investigation into the airstrike.
"The decision is inconsistent with the full truth and deeply offensive."
Australia similarly said it was "outraged" that the Israel decided against pursuing criminal proceedings against those responsible, calling it "especially insulting to Zomi's loved ones" to announce its decision on World Humanitarian Day.
"Zomi represented the best of Australia. Her courage deserves to be celebrated," Foreign Minister Penny Wong of Australia said in a statement.
"This decision falls short of the accountability we expect."
World Central Kitchen returns to work in Gaza
Local volunteers for the U.S.-based aid group World Central Kitchen prepare food to be distributed to needy Palestinians in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 3, 2024. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo