Canada condemns Israel’s decision to close investigation into World Central Kitchen strike

Canada on Thursday condemned the Israeli military’s decision not to pursue a criminal investigation into the killing of seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian workers, including Canadian citizen Jacob Flickinger.

Foreign Minister Anita Anand said on US social media company X that the decision was “unacceptable,” arguing that "serious failures" had already been identified in the strike.

"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," Anand said.

Humanitarian workers delivering food and other life-saving assistance in conflict zones must be protected, she added.

"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," the minister stressed.

The Israeli military on Wednesday said it would investigate two suspected war-crimes cases in the Gaza Strip while closing three other high-profile investigations, including the 2024 World Central Kitchen strike that killed seven aid workers.

World Central Kitchen also condemned the Israeli military prosecutor’s account of the deaths of its seven colleagues on April 1, 2024.

"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," it said in a statement.