Israel says its military did not commit a criminal act when it killed seven aid workers in Gaza two years ago, including a Canadian.
Jacob Flickinger, a military veteran from Quebec, was among seven staff working with World Central Kitchen in April 2024 when Israeli airstrikes hit their convoy.
The aid group, which distributes food in Gaza, said at the time it had co-ordinated with the military over the convoy’s movement.
Israel’s military said Wednesday that it mistakenly identified the aid workers as armed Hamas operatives but this did not amount to criminal misconduct.
World Central Kitchen says the military’s account of the strike is untrue and shifts the blame, and Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed “outrage” at the findings.
The Canadian Press has reached out for comment from Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, who has not yet made a public statement reacting to the case.
People inspect the site where World Central Kitchen workers were killed in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, April 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2026.
— With files from The Associated Press
By Dylan Robertson | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.