Australia outraged as Israel rejects Probe into Gaza aid deaths Zomi Frankcom was an aid worker with World Central Kitchen Australia has condemned an Israeli military decision not to launch a criminal investigation into the killing of aid worker Zomi Frankcom in Gaza, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong declaring herself “outraged”. Frankcom, an Australian national working for World Central Kitchen, was killed alongside six colleagues when their convoy was struck by Israeli forces in April 2024. Canberra demands answers after investigation rejected Wong summoned Israel’s ambassador and said the decision fell “far short” of the accountability Australia expected. She pointed to unanswered questions over why three strikes hit the convoy within minutes of one another if the first attack was a catastrophic mistake. Wong also criticised the removal of two officers and reprimand of three others, saying those measures did not amount to sufficient accountability for seven deaths. Australia has also requested drone audio from the attack but, according to Wong, it has still not been handed over. Israel says there was no criminal intent Israeli ambassador Hillel Newman defended the military’s findings after meeting Wong, arguing there was “no criminal intention” and therefore no criminal responsibility. The IDF said serious failures had occurred, including mistaken identification and errors in decision-making. It also claimed an armed guard accompanying the convoy had not been reported and that the vehicles deviated from their agreed route. Frankcom’s family rejected the conclusion as inaccurate and renewed its call for an independent investigation. World Central Kitchen rejects Israel’s account World Central Kitchen said the military investigation was inconsistent with the full truth and accused it of shifting blame for what the charity described as illegal conduct. The organisation said the IDF knew the team was unarmed, had clear visibility of the marked vehicles and knew the group’s identities and movements. It argued that the Israeli military could not credibly investigate its own conduct. The decision widens an already bitter dispute The attack killed three British nationals, as well as a Palestinian, a Pole and a dual US-Canadian citizen. Britain has yet to comment on Israel’s decision. The IDF said it would investigate several other deaths, including the killing of five-year-old Hind Rajab and relatives, two paramedics who tried to reach her, and 15 Palestinians killed in March 2025. For Canberra, however, the Frankcom decision has become a major test of Israel’s willingness to deliver accountability for civilian deaths — and one that has sharply strained relations between the two countries. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp87g29r718o
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