Anthony Albanese says he will announce head of probe into aid worker deaths in Israel within the next 24 hours

An adviser will co-operate with Israel to ensure “transparency” in an investigation into an air strike on Gaza that killed seven aid workers, including an Australian.

Anthony Albanese says he will soon announce the identity of the adviser tasked to lead Australia’s independent investigation into the deaths of aid workers in Gaza.

It comes after the federal government raised concerns over Israel’s probe into its role in a drone attack that killed seven aid workers, including an Australian citizen, which Israel claimed it mistakenly believed was targeting Hamas terrorists.

“It will be announced imminently and I’m sure that you, you will able to be within the next 24 hours read about that appointment,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday.

“It is important that today, which is six months since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel that occurred, I will once again reiterate our complete and unequivocal opposition to the events that happened on October 7.

Melbourne-born Zomi Frankcom was one of the aid workers killed in Gaza. Picture: Supplied.

“What we need to do, as well as to make sure that the victims of that should not be, of course … Israeli people, the Palestinian population as well, we need to make sure that humanitarian assistance is gotten to those people who need it.”

Two Israeli officers were fired after an investigation found that the attack drone strikes that hit three charity vehicles, killing seven humanitarian workers including Australian Zomi Frankcom, violated military procedures.

Under pressure to answer if he thought Israel’s actions constituted a war crime, opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said it would be “naive” to pretend that mistakes did not happen in war.

“You’re asking me to give a legal judgement that I am not qualified nor with all the facts to be in a position to give a judgement,” Senator Birmingham told ABC’s Insiders.

“We want to make sure processes are transparent (into Ms Frankcom’s death) and ensure that this tragedy is never repeated again.”

Labor frontbencher Ed Husic blasted the Coalition on its response to the war. Picture: Martin Ollman/NCA NewsWire.

Senator Birmingham said that the Coalition wanted to see “clear action” in terms of understanding how the death of Ms Frankcom occurred but argued Israel had held itself to account more so than Hamas.

“We would also wish to see the hostages held by Hamas released and is that is something that often seems to get overlooked in the public debate,” he said.

Earlier, Industry Minister Ed Husic accused the Coalition of being “utterly silent” and “particularly weak” in its response to the incident.

“Frankly, the Coalition has not brought itself to be able to express its concern, either to people domestically who are deeply worried the way in which the tragic loss of life, the number of people killed in this operation.”

Since the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed and about 240 taken hostage, more than 30,000 Palestinians have died, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

Originally published as Anthony Albanese says he will announce head of probe into aid worker deaths in Israel within the next 24 hours