Key facts
- Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned Israel's decision not to pursue criminal proceedings for the airstrike that killed Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom.
- The IDF concluded that the strike on World Central Kitchen vehicles, which killed seven aid workers, was due to mistaken identity and procedural errors, not criminal misconduct.
- World Central Kitchen strongly disagreed with the IDF's account and decision, calling it "deeply offensive".
- Wong described the timing of the decision, on World Humanitarian Day, as "especially insulting".
- Australia's ambassador to Israel has been directed to convey the government's views, and Israel's Ambassador to Australia will be called in.
Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong has expressed "outrage" and will summon Israel's Ambassador to Australia following the Israeli military's decision not to open a criminal investigation into the airstrike that killed Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six other World Central Kitchen staff in Gaza in April 2024.
Wong stated that the timing of the decision, announced on World Humanitarian Day, was "especially insulting" to Frankcom's loved ones and humanitarians. She emphasized that democracies should uphold higher standards and that Australia expects full accountability, especially after the IDF admitted to serious failures in following procedures, mistaken identification, and errors in decision-making, as confirmed by a special adviser's report.
World Central Kitchen strongly refuted the IDF's account, asserting that the aid workers were unarmed, posed no threat, and that the military had full awareness of their movements and identities during the multiple airstrikes on clearly marked humanitarian vehicles. The organization called the decision not to pursue criminal proceedings "deeply offensive" and inconsistent with the truth.
Australia's ambassador to Israel has been instructed to convey the government's strong views directly to Israeli officials, and Ambassador Newman will be summoned to meet with Wong. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had previously made it clear to Israel that transparency was expected regarding the investigation into the incident.