This joint statement by @dfat @GAC_Corporate & @FCDOGovUK brings shame on 🇦🇺🇨🇦 &🇬🇧, not @Israel. The statement demonstrates an absolutely inexcusable lack of understanding of even the most fundamental #LOAC principles, and it is an utter embarrassment for the 3 foreign ministries involved. The decision @IDF "not pursue criminal investigations into this strike" is completely understandable since the strike wasn't fucking criminal. And the claim that this decision was made "without further explanation" is an outright fucking lie. The joint statement refers directly to the "announcement by the IDF on August 19, 2026", which btw is available at this link: idf.il/en/mini-sites/militar… And in this announcement available at that link, one finds a FURTHER EXPLANATION regarding the decision not to pursue criminal prosecution. To wit, the announcement says, "Following review of all findings of the factual assessment, it was determined that, notwithstanding serious failures in the process that led to the assessment that Hamas operatives were travelling in the vehicles, the decisions of the commanders did not raise reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct. This conclusion was reached in view of the sequence of suspicious indicators and the totality of the operational circumstances" (pic 1). The announcement continues, "Accordingly, it was determined that there is no reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct that would justify the opening of a criminal investigation or the taking of additional measures against any of those involved in the incident, beyond those described above" (still pic 1). See? Not fucking criminal, so no fucking criminal investigation. And icymi, there's our fucking further explanation. And for anyone who maybe just doesn't know any better - like apparently the staff at all 3 of these foreign ministries - we don't "hold those responsible to account" based on the perceived outcome of an attack during armed conflict. Not Australia, not Canada, not the UK - and not Israel. We don't do that because that's not how LOAC works. That's the body of law we ALL apply during the conduct of armed hostilities, yet these absolutely clueless foreign ministries expect 🇮🇱 to "hold those responsible to account" based on the OUTCOME of the strike. I mean, all 3 of these countries have ratified the Rome Statute. Foreign ministers & their staffs have to at least know this, if nothing else. And a cursory glance at the war crimes (art. 8) & mental element (arts. 30 & 32) confirms war CRIMES are committed with intent & knowledge (pic 2). The "further explanation" confirms relevant personnel weren't aware AT THE TIME that a @WCKitchen convoy was attacked, rather they believed AT THE TIME that the convoy had been hijacked by #Hamas militants. Of course, 🇮🇱 hasn't ratified the Rome Statute, but their doctrinal application of the LOAC distinction rule, like most other foundational LOAC rules, is substantially similar (pic 3). And another thing. The doctrinal version of LOAC isn't about claiming "victims of this [or any] incident and their families deserve justice and accountability." That's just another method of converting LOAC into an effects-based construct - which is completely inconsistent with the doctrinal version we ACTUALLY apply in practice. Then the joint statement has the audacity to close by claiming, "Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law and must do more to ensure that humanitarian staff can carry out their work safely." First of all, there is no fucking LOAC obligation to ensure "humanitarian staff can carry out their work safely" - so putting that claim in the same sentence as LOAC obligations is utterly clueless. And second, the foreign ministries responsible for this joint statement demonstrate throughout that they don't have the foggiest clue what "Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law." Now, if it seems that my commentary is a bit ... spicier than usual, that's because I suppose it is. This is usually how my internal voice sounds when I encounter ignorant LOAC commentary like that - especially when it derives from some official gov't source as this joint statement does. I'm not filtering my internal voice on this occasion, though, because I am sick and fucking tired of seeing predominantly liberal governments misrepresenting international law as a convenient & expedient excuse to slam Israel. And I am sick & fucking tired of Jewish people getting harassed - and sometimes accosted & even murdered - by lunatics who take these same misrepresentations of int'l law these liberal governments are constantly spewing as a convenient & expedient excuse to hate on or attack Jews because they're an easier target than Israel is. And I am sick & fucking tired of these same liberal governments offering the same fucking platitudes after another fucking attack on Jewish people or property - all while these liberal governments are spewing & spinning performative & ignorant nonsense like this joint statement that is FUELING the sentiment driving the very attacks they claim to denounce. And I am sick & FUCKING tired of liberals getting away with all the above because conservative politicians & the media aren't familiar enough with the intricate details of the doctrinal version of LOAC these governments ROUTINELY butcher to be able to hold them to account & make them pay at the ballot box where true political accountability SHOULD have taken place for almost 3 FUCKING years now. Obviously, I'm a little irate. That's not uncommon on occasions such as reading this incompetent joint statement. Though it is uncommon that I show it. Enough. Liberals - knock it off. Conservatives - get your shit together & start holding these liberals to account (politically, of course) and MAKE them knock it off or make them pay for it (again, politically). Because if you swapped out the letterhead on this joint statement, it could just as easily have been drafted by some two-bit human rights activist group like @hrw & @amnesty & such. They're just as clueless on the doctrinal application of LOAC as these foreign ministries responsible for this joint statement. The difference is, human rights activist groups aren't expected to govern shit. Personnel responsible for this clueless joint statement are. And next time 🇦🇺 🇨🇦 or 🇬🇧 militaries are involved in a high-profile incident of civcas for which "those responsible" are not held "to account" by pursing "criminal investigations" - even though a fact-finding & assessment mechanism determines the incident doesn't warrant a criminal investigation since it wasn't FUCKING CRIMINAL in nature - this moronic joint statement will be what these two-bit human rights activist groups will fervently wave around in the air to nail them for failing to apply the same bullshit standard they're calling on Israel to implement now. As a former combat soldier & military lawyer turned international law academic, that might be the most irritating thing of all - professionally, that is. We're watching in real time as these clueless (predominantly liberal) foreign ministries put an official stamp on the demise - at least in the public domain - of international law involving armed conflict. In doing so, they're CREATING the gap between public perception & doctrinal reality that ALL military members, ESPECIALLY legal advisors, will have to contend with henceforth. And they're doing it all just as a convenient & expedient excuse to condemn the world's only predominantly Jewish state in order shore up their base by scoring a few cheap political points with the Islamist & anti-Israel progressive vote. It's fucking sickening - and they're just going to keep doing it, and getting away with it, until we ALL know enough about LOAC to stop them & to properly hold them to account.