MSF Criticizes Israel for Closing Cases on Deaths of Four Aid Workers in Gaza

Jerusalem – Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has strongly condemned the Israeli Military Prosecutor's decision to close cases concerning the deaths of four of its aid workers in Gaza without initiating criminal investigations. The organization described the decision as "the predictable outcome of a military apparatus investigating itself" and stated that the Israeli legal system fails to provide accountability.

The incidents in question include the deaths of two MSF workers in a convoy in Gaza City in November 2023 and two others in an attack on an MSF shelter in Khan Younis in February 2024. The Israeli military claimed that in the shelter attack, troops fired at a building they considered a "threat" without updated information indicating it belonged to MSF. Regarding the convoy, the military stated that warning shots were fired due to "uncoordinated movement," suggesting deaths might have resulted from "ricochets" rather than direct fire.

Despite acknowledging "tragic deaths" or actions taken by troops without complete information, the military did not open criminal investigations in either case. MSF highlighted that this decision comes nearly two years after their initial request and follows an appeal to the Israeli High Court of Justice due to the Military Prosecutor's lack of response.

These decisions are among the first five issued by the Military Prosecutor's office concerning approximately 150 incidents examined by the IDF's investigative mechanism. Notably, in the case of five-year-old Hind Rajab, whose death and that of her family in January 2024 were attributed to Israeli fire, the Army acknowledged its involvement and announced a criminal investigation. MSF's experience contrasts sharply with this instance, underscoring their frustration with the lack of justice for their fallen colleagues.

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Esto no es justicia, es el resultado previsible de un aparato militar que se investiga a sí mismo.