A British inquest into the deaths of three aid workers killed in Israeli drone strikes on a World Central Kitchen convoy is widening its examination of the Israeli military operation and possible UK involvement.
James Kirby, 47, of Bristol, John Chapman, 57, of Poole, Dorset, and James 'Jim' Henderson, 33, of Falmouth, Cornwall, died on 1 April 2024. The men worked as security consultants for World Central Kitchen in Gaza. All had previously served in the British Armed Forces and worked for the Dorset-based security firm Solace Global.
Senior coroner Maria Voisin told a pre-inquest hearing at Avon Coroner's Court that she was 'minded to grant' the Israeli Defence Forces, or IDF, and Colonel Nochi Mendel 'interested person' status. Colonel Mendel has been identified as the commanding officer allegedly responsible. It remains unclear whether Israeli military officers or Colonel Mendel will ultimately be required to give evidence, or what evidence they may provide.
Seven World Central Kitchen workers were killed when Israeli drone strikes hit a three-car convoy returning from unloading humanitarian cargo at a temporary pier on the Mediterranean coast. The convoy was travelling towards Rafah when three strikes were launched roughly four minutes apart, between 23:09 and 23:13.
The aid delivery had been coordinated with the Israeli military for several days. An Israeli officer was present at the pier. The IDF has described the deaths as a 'grave accident' and said the Nahal Brigade had incomplete information about the pre-arranged humanitarian mission. According to the official Israeli account, details had not been passed from higher levels of Southern Command to the brigade or the drone operator.
The Israeli military also said it assumed Hamas had taken over the convoy. World Central Kitchen headquarters in the United States contacted an employee in Gaza that evening and assured the Israeli military that contact with the convoy had not been lost and that the humanitarian aid had not been taken over.
The IDF used a Hermes 450 drone in the strikes. Campaign Against Arms Trade has alleged that the drone is powered by UK-made engines. The inquests may examine the specific role, if any, played by UK-manufactured weapons technology or components.
A Royal Air Force surveillance aircraft flew over Gaza on the day of the strike. The UK government has refused to release its surveillance footage or disclose the aircraft's flight path. The material gathered by the aircraft, and whether any information was passed to the IDF, remains unknown.
Israeli military authorities decided against criminal investigations into the strike. An IDF review published on 5 April 2024 led to the dismissal of two senior Israeli military officers and reprimands for three others.
The scope of the British inquests includes how the three men came to be in Gaza, along with the risk assessments, plans, policies and procedures that applied to their work. Legal teams have also asked the coroner to investigate 'what steps, if any, were taken or in place prior to 1 April 2024 by the UK Government in relation to the protection of lives of aid workers in Gaza'.
The inquiry could therefore consider questions surrounding surveillance, intelligence sharing and the alleged UK connection to the drone's engines. It is also unclear why an armed escort was present at the World Central Kitchen site despite contradicting World Central Kitchen policy. A further pre-inquest review is listed for 5 April 2027.
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