UK family demands inquiry into Israeli killing of their aid worker son

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
4 Sep 2024 14:29
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The British family describes the killing of James and his colleagues, who had received clearance for their humanitarian mission, as a "diabolical tragedy."

Palestinians inspect a vehicle with the logo of the World Central Kitchen wrecked by an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, on April 2, 2024. (AP)

The family of British aid worker James Kirby, who was killed in an Israeli drone strike in Gaza, is calling on the UK government to launch an independent investigation into his death.

Kirby, 47, from Bristol, was among seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers who were killed in the Israeli attack on April 1, including two other Britons. The WCK convoy, which was clearly marked, was hit by munitions fired by Israeli drones as it was leaving a warehouse.

A memorial service for Kirby, a former member of the Rifles, will be held in Bristol today. His cousin, Louise Kirby, mentioned that the family was deeply moved by personal letters of condolence from the King, the Queen, and former Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron. She described the killing of James and his colleagues, who had received clearance for their humanitarian mission, as a "diabolical tragedy."

"Whilst we have had much support, we are still struggling to find answers and accountability for what happened; The state of Israel says the murder was an accident. So we were surprised not to have had any contact or condolence from Israel’s ambassador to the UK in London, nor from any Israeli official," Kirby's cousin stressed.

She emphasized the need for closure for families who lose loved ones, stressing that understanding how such a tragedy occurred is crucial.

"But this is not just about us. This is about how Britain looks after its own citizens and their families when a British citizen has been unlawfully killed by another state", she emphasized.

Kirby's cousin called for a thorough and independent investigation into the attack on the aid workers and for any relevant evidence to be reviewed in an appropriate legal setting.

UK MoD holds crucial footage of Gaza massacre, refuses to release

Back in July, the UK Ministry of Defense possessed video surveillance footage of Gaza from the day "Israel" killed seven international aid workers in a massacre but is refusing to release it according to Declassified UK.

The footage, captured by a Royal Air Force (RAF) surveillance plane had documented approximately five hours over Gaza on April 1, when seven people working for the World Central Kitchen convoy were killed by "Israel", including three British military veterans: John Chapman, James Kirby, and James ‘Jim’ Henderson.

The RAF surveillance plane seemingly returned to its base in Cyprus just minutes before the airstrikes were launched.

As a result, the RAF may have recorded footage of the events leading up to the massacre, which could shed light on the Israeli occupation's claims by either proving or disproving whether or not "Hamas gunmen" were near the convoy, Declassified argued.

People have a right to know

Jose Andres, the founder of World Central Kitchen, criticized "Israel’s" investigation into the incident, in which two senior officers were dismissed for what was described as a "grave mistake," Declassified UK wrote in their report.

Citing an interview with ABC, the report noted that Andres stated that "the investigation should be much deeper…we need more information. We need to see better quality videos."

Moreover, according to Declassified UK, London is unlikely to become the source of this crucial footage, despite having reportedly conducted over 200 surveillance flights over Gaza to aid "Israel".

The UK military acknowledged, in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by Declassified UK, that it holds "video footage of Gaza from the Shadow R1 [surveillance] flight on 1 April."

However, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has refused to release the tape, citing security reasons, and suggesting that its contents might involve UK special forces or MI6. Declassified plans to appeal the FOI decision and shared this information with some relatives of the deceased aid workers.

"This footage should not be kept hidden from our family," said Jim Henderson’s father Neil speaking to Declassified, adding that "the UK government must urgently disclose any evidence it holds" which might "shed light on why James was wrongly targeted by Israel".

Similarly, Forz Khan, the Henderson family’s lawyer, told Declassified that he is “writing to the new Labour government to demand answers on whether UK military and intelligence assistance to Israel has been used in attacks on British citizens in Gaza”.