Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called the decision a serious setback for accountability and said relationsbetween Canberra and Tel Aviv were going through a “difficult time”.
Australia summoned Israeli Ambassador Hillel Newman to Parliament House after Israel’s decision to clear its soldiers over the strike, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“Obviously, this is a difficult time in a relationship. We made our views clear about this issue,” Wong told reporters after the meeting.
She said Australia was “realistic” about the Israeli government’s response to its concerns, but stressed that Frankcom was killed in three separate strikes targeting a humanitarian convoy.
Wong said Israel’s decision to clear the soldiers effectively meant that a criminal investigation would not proceed.
She said the decision failed to address key questions raised during the inquiry and reiterated the Australian government’s demand for Israel to release drone footage of the strike.
Asked whether Australia would take further action, Wong said the government would consult Frankcom’s family.
“The Australian Government learned of Israel’s decision late last night, moments before it was announced, on World Humanitarian Day - which is especially insulting to Zomi’s loved ones, humanitarians and all Australians,” Wong said in an earlier statement.
“This decision falls far short of the accountability we expect,” she added.
Frankcom, an Australian national, was killed alongside six other World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza in April 2024 when an Israeli airstrike hit their convoy.
The vehicles were clearly marked as belonging to the humanitarian organisation.
Wong said the Israeli military had acknowledged that the strikes were the result of serious failures to follow its procedures, mistaken identification and errors in decision-making.
She said Australia would continue to press Israel to ensure accountability, arguing that democratic countries should hold themselves to higher standards.
The dispute has added to tensions in relations between Australia and Israel over the handling of the deaths of humanitarian workers in Gaza.
Israel's 27 October parliamentary election could reshape the country's political future, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing a se...
The C5+1 ministerial meeting in Samarkand has strengthened economic ties between the U.S. and Central Asia, with Uzbekistan securing 54 agreements ...
Iran has not received a response from Saudi Arabia or Yemen's Houthis to its offer to help broker talks to end...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Norway for talks about the Russia-Ukraine war. He is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who arrived in Oslo earlier. Witkoff will also meet European officials.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for continuing to target Russia's energy infrastructure, while Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight killed at least one person and damaged a metro station.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said regional issues should be resolved through diplomacy and blamed the United States for insecurity and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, speaking at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday.
French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned the violence, looting and vandalism that erupted during cost-of-living protests across France. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held crisis talks on Monday, calling for partial curfews and raising the possibility of a state of emergency.
An oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said late Sunday.
Israel's 27 October parliamentary election could reshape the country's political future, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing a serious challenge from former military chief Gadi Eisenkot and a potentially decisive battle over coalition-building.
Nigerian health authorities have confirmed a case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), prompting the activation of emergency public health measures aimed at preventing further transmission of the deadly virus.
A man who allegedly rammed his car into Australian lawmaker Helen Haines outside her electoral office appeared in court on Wednesday, as police sought to understand the motive for the rare attack on an elected official.
France will reinforce police with troops and mount a huge security operation for more protests planned on Saturday, the government said on Tuesday, acknowledging failures in its response to last weekend's violence.
China has lodged a formal diplomatic protest with the UK after British border officials allegedly subjected Chinese travellers to lengthy questioning and seized personal electronic devices, including phones, laptops and smartwatches.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment