Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called for an independent investigation into the killings of seven aid workers in Gaza. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called for an independent investigation into a drone missile attack on a World Central Kitchen convoy and the deaths of seven aid workers including Australian Zomi Frankcom in Gaza in April 2024, after the Israeli military cleared itself of any wrongdoing on Wednesday (19 August).
Speaking on the ABC’s 7.30 on Thursday night, Mr Albanese echoed Senator Penny Wong’s comments earlier in the day when she described the findings as an “outrage”, and added that he thought an independent investigation should be considered.
“It clearly is an outrage, and there’s a need for a far more transparent and clear explanation from the Israeli Government other than what we’ve received,” he said.
“I would’ve thought [an independent investigation] is one of the options that certainly should be considered.
“But it’s certainly not good enough that on World Humanitarian Day of all days, they release this so-called report that essentially says, ‘Yes, we’re responsible, but nothing to see here’.
“We will press the Israeli Government,” he added.
“The direction, we have said today, we’ll discuss with Ms Frankcom’s family. They deserve to be consulted on these issues, and we’ll do that, and then we’ll make an announcement in the coming days.”
The PM’s comments came after Israel’s Ambassador to Australia Hillel Newman was summoned by Senator Wong to explain the outcomes of the Israel Defense Force’s (IDF) investigation.
After the meeting, Mr Newman defended the investigation, saying, “One cannot attack the findings of a court if the findings are not suitable to one’s political agenda”.
Asked whether Israel would apologise to the family of Ms Frankcom, Mr Newman said while he expressed sorrow to the family for her death, to issue an apology may have “legal ramifications”.
“Israel came out with findings after a thorough investigation, after a two-year investigation into the circumstances of the death of Zomi Frankcom,” he said.
“Since I took up my mission here about five months ago, I was implored all the time to bring about closure, which I did.
“But in the end, one must also understand that not every case where someone dies, where there is a casualty, that that means there is a criminal liability.”
Mr Newman echoed the investigation’s findings by saying the World Central Kitchen group had used armed security to protect the three vehicles in which the aid workers were travelling, and that the convoy had not taken the route which the IDF hadn’t approved.
“It was a mistake in retrospect, but the findings of the court are there was no criminal intention … and therefore there was no criminal responsibility.”
After the meeting, Senator Wong said the explanation was unsatisfactory, that the outcome had fallen short of the accountability the Australian Government expected of Israel, and said that many questions remained unanswered.
“We do not have confidence in the IDF military Advocate General’s process given the many unanswered questions,” she said.
“The Australian Government does not believe the removal of two officers from their positions and three officers being reprimanded is sufficient accountability for the deaths of seven people including an Australian citizen,” she told media, referring to the actions of the IDF in the days immediately after the attack.
She also referred to Australia’s recent relationship with Israel as “difficult”.
“Obviously it’s a difficult time in our relationship. We made our views clear about this issue,” she said.
In a statement, Ms Frankcom’s brother said the family was “deeply disappointed by the decision by Israel’s Military Advocate General to clear their soldiers of criminal wrongdoing in the Gaza strike that killed our beloved Zomi”, adding that the announcement of the findings on World Humanitarian day was an extra “insult to my sister’s memory”.
“We and the families of the six other World Central Kitchen aid workers have been waiting for justice for over two years, hoping and calling for an independent criminal investigation,” he said.
“Zomi and her colleagues deserve more than an internal, opaque process that ends with a short statement by the Israeli Military absolving their soldiers of criminal wrongdoing.
“The families of the victims deserve transparency and an independent judicial assessment of the criminal responsibility for the international humanitarian law violations that took place on that day.”
Greens Senator Mahreen Faruqi said she was “angry and devasted” by the investigation’s findings, but added, “there are no surprises here”.
“This is how the apartheid, genocidal state of Israel works,” she said. “This is a state that routinely commits war crimes with no consequences.
“Zomi and six of her colleagues were systematically hunted and murdered by the Israel Army. This was without a doubt a war crime.”
Senator Faruqi also called for the expulsion of Ambassador Newman, and said the Australian Government had failed Ms Frankcom.
“Israel was never going to hold their forces to account for the murder of Zomi Frankcom,” she added.
“Senator Wong can be as outraged as she wants now, but words don’t cut it. In her meeting with the Israeli Ambassador, she should be telling him to pack his bags and expel him.”
