Inquest into British citizens killed in Gaza airstrikes

A pre-inquest review has been opened in Bristol regarding the deaths of three British citizens—James ‘Jim’ Henderson, James Kirby, and John Chapman—who were killed in Israeli drone strikes in Gaza on 1 April 2024. The men were working as security consultants for World Central Kitchen when their aid vehicles were hit.

Senior coroner Maria Voisin indicated that the scope of the investigation may be widened to include the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and Colonel Nochi Mendel, the officer who ordered the strikes, as “interested persons.” This follows the Israeli military's decision not to pursue criminal investigations into the incident, a move criticized by several governments.

Lawyers for the families are seeking to determine if the killings were unlawful and whether the strikes adhered to Israel’s targeting and deconfliction policies. They are also calling for an investigation into the role of the British Ministry of Defence, specifically regarding intelligence sharing and the presence of an RAF surveillance aircraft over Gaza at the time of the attack. Additionally, the inquest may examine whether the munitions used in the strike were manufactured in the United Kingdom.