Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said she is “outraged” over an Israeli government decision not to pursue criminal proceedings against those responsible for the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, who was killed in an IDF strike in Gaza.
The IDF acknowledged serious failures, including mistaken identification and errors in decision-making, but concluded there was “no reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct” sufficient to justify opening a criminal investigation, according to SBS News.
Frankcom was killed on 1 April 2024 while supporting a World Central Kitchen aid delivery in Gaza. Australia subsequently appointed former Chief of the Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin to assess Israel’s investigation and response. His report found that the deaths resulted from failures in IDF controls, mistaken identification, errors in decision-making and failures to comply with procedures and rules of engagement.
Importantly, the Australian investigation did not conclude that the strike was a deliberate attack on humanitarian workers. The report instead identified serious failures surrounding the identification and engagement of the vehicles.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Israel’s decision fell “far short” of the accountability Australia expects. She said Israel’s ambassador would be summoned and Australia’s ambassador in Israel had been instructed to convey the government’s position directly.
Wong also criticised the timing of the announcement, saying it was made on World Humanitarian Day and was “especially insulting” to Frankcom’s loved ones, humanitarians and Australians, according to the Australian Government statement.
World Central Kitchen has rejected the Israeli findings and called the decision unjustified, maintaining that the IDF knew its team was unarmed and knew the movements and identities of the humanitarian convoy, according to The Guardian. (Those are WCK’s claims and should be distinguished from the findings independently established by the Australian and Israeli investigations.)
The question now is whether Israel’s explanation will satisfy Australia, Frankcom’s family, and the wider community. For a democratic ally, scrutiny and accountability shouldn’t be seen as hostility. They’re fundamental to Western legal and moral traditions and therefore accompany military power.