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Australia receives report into Israeli military’s killing of aid workers

Australia has been handed a report into the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six colleagues by the Israeli military in Gaza.

Apr 05, 2024, updated Apr 05, 2024
Australian Zomi Frankcom and six other World Central Kitchen aid workers were killed by Israeli drone strikes while trying to deliver food in Gaza. Photo: AP

Australian Zomi Frankcom and six other World Central Kitchen aid workers were killed by Israeli drone strikes while trying to deliver food in Gaza. Photo: AP

Israel Defence Forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner said the investigation into the strike against seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza had been completed.

The seven charity workers, who were Australian, British, Polish, Palestinian and a dual US-Canadian citizen, died after their three marked cars were hit by Israeli drone strikes as they set out to deliver food aid.

The report had been given to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday, as well as the countries of the killed aid workers, and would be made public within 24 hours.

“The independent investigation has been already presented to the ambassadors of the relevant nations, and we will be presenting them to the World Central Kitchen I expect tomorrow morning, and then we’ll be bringing them to the public as well,” Lt-Col Lerner said.

He said the military was sorry for the “very grave mistake” of “misidentification”.

Lerner said he expected the individual military members who were involved in the strike to face consequences.

“I don’t know the outcome, but if that is the situation, I would expect nothing less,” he said.

Asked if Israeli commanders on the ground were adhering to the rules of war following reports the strike was due to poor discipline, Lt-Col Lerner said any breach of standards should be dealt with.

“Perhaps even criminal charges if there’s been a very dire mistake,” he said.

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The Israeli military spokesman said the investigation was completed outside of the IDF’s chain of command.

Lt-Col Lerner said investigators were provided with full access to all of the information including the operational details and intelligence.

He wouldn’t confirm if footage of the deadly air strike would be made public.

World Central Kitchen charity founder chef Jose Andres World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres said the seven aid workers had been targeted by the Israeli military “systematically, car by car”, despite being told of their movements.

“This was not a bad luck situation where ‘oops’ we dropped the bomb in the wrong place’,”Andres said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong had conveyed Australia’s “anger” over the aid worker deaths to Israel, with Albanese saying on Thursday that its explanation for the deadly attack was “insufficient and unacceptable”.

“What isn’t good enough are the statements that have been made, including that this is just a product of war,” he said.

“This is against humanitarian law.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early this week that the Israeli military had carried out the “unintended strike”.

“This happens in war. We will do everything to prevent a recurrence,” he said.

– with AAP

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