Poland protests Israel decision to end probe into killing of Polish Gaza aid worker

Jerusalem Post/World NewsPoland demanded answers from Israel after the investigation into the Gaza strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen workers, including Polish citizen Damian Sobol, was closed.Follow us on GooglePeople sit in front of a World Central Kitchen in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, on January 26, 2025.(photo credit: YOUSSEF ALZANOUN/MIDDLE EAST IMAGES/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES)ByREUTERSAUGUST 21, 2026 11:03Poland's foreign ministry said it was "very disappointed" and had summoned Israel's ambassador in Warsaw after Israel decided not to pursue criminal proceedings over an attack on a volunteer convoy in Gaza in 2024 in which a Polish citizen was killed.Damian Sobol, a volunteer from Przemysl in southeastern Poland, was among seven people working for celebrity chef Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen who were killed in the airstrike in central Gaza in April 2024, which caused an international outcry.'Very disappointed'"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland is very disappointed to receive the information provided on August 19, 2026, about the discontinuation of the proceedings," the ministry said in a statement late on Thursday.It said the Israeli Ambassador in Warsaw had been summoned to the ministry."The Polish side provided a critical assessment of the actions taken to date to clarify the causes and course of the tragedy, informed that a parallel investigation is being conducted by the District Prosecutor's Office in Przemysl," it said.Mourners place a national flag of Poland at the grave of Damian Sobol, a member of the US-based food charity World Central Kitchen, killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza, during a funeral ceremony at the cemetery in his home town of Przemysl, Poland, on April 20, 2024. (credit: SERGEI GAPON/AFP via Getty Images)It also "expressed its expectation that the Israeli side will provide the relevant Polish authorities with all necessary explanations and materials requested by Polish investigators."Deputy Foreign Minister Ignacy Niemczycki told public radio PR1 on Friday that "we consider this a surprising decision.""We believe that the use of force must be proportionate, and that inappropriate use of force should have consequences, so we expect clarification on this matter," he said.Australia also summoned Israel's ambassador in Canberra on Thursday after an Australian citizen was killed in the airstrike.Follow us on Google