Poland Summons Israeli Ambassador Over Decision to Drop Gaza Aid Strike Probe

Poland has summoned Israel’s ambassador in Warsaw and expressed “very disappointed” at Israel’s decision not to pursue criminal proceedings over the 2024 Gaza airstrike that killed Polish aid worker Damian Sobol and six other humanitarian workers.

Poland’s Foreign Ministry said it received notification on August 19 that the Israeli military had discontinued proceedings into the attack on a World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy in central Gaza.

The ministry said the Polish side had delivered a critical assessment of the investigation and informed the Israeli ambassador that Poland was conducting its own parallel inquiry through the District Prosecutor’s Office in Przemysl, Sobol’s hometown.

Sobol, 35, was among seven WCK workers killed on April 1, 2024, when their clearly marked aid convoy was struck in Gaza. The victims also included Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, British nationals James “Jim” Henderson, John Chapman and James Kirby, Palestinian Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, and dual US-Canadian citizen Jacob Flickinger.

The strike sparked international condemnation and prompted several governments to demand explanations from Israel. Poland had previously summoned the Israeli ambassador over Sobol’s death and called for Polish prosecutors to be involved in the investigation.

According to the latest Israeli position, the military’s review found no basis for criminal proceedings against those involved. Israel acknowledged operational failures but concluded that there was no criminal intent to target the humanitarian workers.

Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, said the military’s findings indicated the incident was a mistake rather than a deliberate attack on aid workers. He also said investigators believed the convoy had deviated from a pre-approved route and may have contained armed personnel, leading soldiers to suspect that militants had taken control of it.

Poland, however, said it expects Israel to provide its investigators with all relevant explanations and materials requested in connection with the case.

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Ignacy Niemczycki described the Israeli decision as surprising and said Warsaw believes that the use of force must be proportionate and that inappropriate use of force should have consequences.

The dispute comes as Israel faces renewed international scrutiny over its handling of investigations into incidents involving civilian deaths in Gaza.

Australia has also strongly criticised Israel’s decision. Canberra summoned Israel’s ambassador and said the decision not to pursue criminal proceedings over the death of Frankcom fell far short of the level of accountability it expected.

World Central Kitchen has previously disputed Israel’s account of the attack and called for an independent investigation into the deaths of its workers.

The April 2024 strike forced the humanitarian organisation to temporarily suspend operations in Gaza and intensified concerns over the safety of aid workers operating in the war zone.

For Poland, the latest development has opened a fresh diplomatic dispute with Israel, while the parallel investigation being conducted by Polish prosecutors remains ongoing.