UK Coroner Considers Widening Gaza Aid Worker Inquest

Senior Coroner Maria Voisin is considering expanding the scope of an inquest into the April 2024 airstrike in Gaza that killed British aid workers John Chapman, Jim Henderson, and James Kirby. During a pre-inquest review, Voisin indicated that the Israel Defense Forces and Colonel Nochi Mendel, who ordered the strikes, may be designated as interested parties.

The expanded inquiry may examine the role of Israeli authorities and the potential use of UK-manufactured weaponry in the attack. The inquest will also look into the activities of a Royal Air Force surveillance plane that operated over Gaza on the day of the incident. Voisin described the current approach as "throwing the net wide at the moment."

This legal development follows a decision by Israeli military authorities to decline criminal investigations into the strike. The governments of the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada described that refusal as "shameful." A further pre-inquest review is scheduled for March.