Australia condemns ‘insulting’ decision to clear IDF over Gaza strikes that killed Australian aid worker

Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong has expressed “outrage” and will call in the Israeli ambassador over the Israel Defense Forces decision overnight not to open a criminal investigation into Gaza strikes that killed Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom.

In a statement released on Thursday, Penny Wong called the timing of the decision, on World Humanitarian Day, “especially insulting”.

The April 2024 strike hit a convoy of World Central Kitchen vehicles, killing seven humanitarian workers from the US-based aid group, which has distributed food in Gaza throughout the war. The IDF said on Wednesday it had mistaken several individuals in the vehicles for armed Hamas military operatives, and that the convoy deviated from the previously coordinated route. It concluded that “the decisions of the commanders did not raise reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct”. Two officers were removed from their positions at the time and three others reprimanded.

One of those killed in the strike was Frankcom, an Australian aid worker. The Australian government has previously called the deaths a “tragedy and an outrage” and pressed for full accountability and “any appropriate criminal charges”. In February the Australian prime minister Albanese said he had made it clear to Israel and its president, Isaac Herzog, that Australia expected transparency about Israel’s then-ongoing investigation into the incident.

Many human rights experts and MPs have also demanded the Australian government to put sanctions against the state of Israel and stop sending weapons parts to Israel.