Australia summons Israeli ambassador over aid worker death in 2024 Gaza airstrike

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong summoned Israel's ambassador to Australia on Thursday, expressing deep outrage over the Israeli military's decision not to pursue criminal proceedings in the 2024 airstrike in Gaza that killed an Australian aid worker, Zomi Frankcom, and six others. Israel's military stated on Wednesday that it found no basis to investigate the killings, after conducting a fact-finding and assessment procedure.

Wong called the decision "far short of the accountability we expect" and emphasized that Australia would not stop pressing Israel for justice for Frankcom and her colleagues. She instructed the Australian ambassador in Israel to convey Australia's views directly to the Israeli government as they consider their next steps. The attack, which also claimed the lives of citizens from Britain, Poland, Palestinians and a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen, drew widespread global condemnation.

Israel's ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, acknowledged operational failures by the Israeli military but emphasized that the findings indicated no criminal intent or liability. He explained that the convoy of aid workers had deviated from a pre-approved route, leading the Israeli military to believe it had been taken over by Hamas.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have initiated investigations into similar attacks that resulted in civilian deaths in Gaza and Lebanon.