Last updated on August 29th, 2024 at 02:03 pm
Sydney – Israeli airstrikes that killed international aid workers in Gaza in April resulted from serious operational failures but were not intentional, according to an Australian government review released on Friday.
Three Israeli airstrikes targeted a convoy of aid-carrying vehicles that cut through Gaza on April 1 and left seven staff members of World Central Kitchen, or WCK, dead, among whom one was the Australian team leader identified as Zomi Frankcom. Other victims included US, British, and Polish nationals.
The attack was highly condemned by allies of Israel, who accused Israel of deliberately targeting the aid workers-a charge denied by Israel.
Findings of the Review:
News of the movements of the WCK convoy had not reached the IDF team behind the strike, adding to the confusion. Israeli officials could not communicate directly with the aid convoy itself to further compound the situation.
One such observation was that the SOPs were violated when the IDF staff ordered the second and then the third strikes on the convoy without any further identification process.
Recommendations
The Australian review said Israel’s investigation into the deaths was “timely, appropriate, and, with some exceptions, sufficient.” On a number of issues, Binskin stopped short of recommending that Australia demand an apology and compensation for the families from Israel but said both were important considerations for Israel.
Calls for Accountability
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Australia wants those responsible to be held accountable, including criminal charges if warranted.
The family of the late aid worker, Zomi Frankcom, welcomed the Australian review as an important first step and expressed their hope that further investigations would be conducted by Israel, with actions commensurate with those findings.
