Penny Wong announces special adviser to oversee aid worker killings after slamming Israel’s response to Aussie death

A special adviser will oversee Israel’s probe into the deaths of seven aid workers, including an Australian, in Gaza after the Federal Government slammed the initial response to soldiers being fired.

A special adviser to the Australian government will be appointed to oversee Israel’s investigation into an attack which killed seven aid workers, including an Australian, after Penny Wong said the initial probe by the Israeli government was not satisfactory.

Australian chef Lalzawmi ‘Zomi’ Frankcom was among seven aid workers killed on April 1 when three vehicles, marked with the branding of World Central Kitchen were struck by Israel Defense Force (IDF) drones while traversing Gaza.

Two IDF officers have been dismissed as a result of Israel’s investigation into the attack.

But the Australian government has condemned the initial response, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong saying the information Israel provided wasn’t good enough.

“The information Israel has provided on its investigation hasn’t yet satisfied our expectations,” she said in a statement.

Ms Frankcom was killed when a vehicle she travelling in was targeted by an Israeli air strike. Picture: Supplied

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Israel’s explanation on the attack had not satisfied the expectations of the Australian government. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“We are also alarmed by initial comments that this was an accident and that such incidents happen in a war.

“These responses suggest the gravity of the death of seven humanitarian workers is yet to be appreciated by the Israeli Government.”

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Ms Wong said a special adviser would be appointed to the Federal Government to ensure Israel’s investigation is conducted in a way “consistent” with expectations from the Australian government and people.

Ms Wong reiterated appropriate action needed to be taken once the facts of the group’s deaths were ascertained but did not rule out whether criminal liability would be considered.

She condemned the initial October 7 attack by Hamas but said Israel’s response was “bound by international humanitarian law”, which included the protection of the lives of aid workers.

“Demonstrably, that did not occur to Zomi Frankcom and her colleagues,” Ms Wong said.

Ms Wong said a special adviser would be appointed to the Australian government to ensure Israel’s investigation into the aid workers’ deaths would be conducted appropriately. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“We have a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza - humanitarian assistance at scale must be enable, and it appears prior to this, it has not been.

Ms Wong said there had been “overdue” improvements to the flow of aid into Gaza, saying Australia joined the international community in calling for Israel’s commitment to these improvements.

“We have said if the investigation determines IDF targeting policies and practices have contributed (we want) urgent adjustments are made and communicated publicly,” she said.

“That means if there is a problem with the way the rules of engagement have been developed, if there is a problem with how they have been implemented... that changes are made.”

Ms Wong’s comments follow Prime Minister Anthony Albanese voicing his outrage over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments about the attack being an “accident”.

Mr Albanese said they were “unacceptable”.

“We need to have accountability for how it has occurred, and what is not good enough is the statements that have been made, including that this is just a product of war,” he told reporters at a news conference in Sydney.

“This is against humanitarian law – international humanitarian law makes it very clear that aid workers should be able to provide that aid and that assistance free of the threat of losing their life.”

In a statement, the IDF said the findings indicated the incident should not have happened.

“Those who approved the strike were convinced that they were targeting armed Hamas operatives and not WCK employees,” the statement read.

“The strike on the aid vehicles is a grave mistake stemming from a serious failure due to a mistaken identification, errors in decision-making, and an attack contrary to the standard operating procedures.”

IDF chief of the general staff decided the brigade fire support commander, an officer with the rank of major, would be dismissed from his position.

The brigade chief of staff, an officer with the rank of colonel in reserve, will also be dismissed from his position.

In addition, the brigade commander and the 162nd division commander will be formally reprimanded.

Meanwhile, the IDF chief of staff has formally reprimanded the commander of the southern command for his overall responsibility for the incident.

“The investigation found that the forces identified a gunman on one of the aid trucks, following which they identified an additional gunman,” the IDF statement read.

“After the vehicles left the warehouse where the aid had been unloaded, one of the commanders mistakenly assumed that the gunmen were located inside the accompanying vehicles and that these were Hamas terrorists.

“The forces did not identify the vehicles in question as being associated with WCK.

“Following a misidentification by the forces, the forces targeted the three WCK vehicles based on the misclassification of the event and misidentification of the vehicles as having Hamas operatives inside them, with the resulting strike leading to the deaths of seven innocent humanitarian aid workers.

“The strikes on the three vehicles were carried out in serious violation of the commands and IDF standard operating procedures.”

The IDF said it took the matter seriously.

“We express our deep sorrow for the loss and send our condolences to the families and the WCK organisation,” the statement read.

“The IDF will learn the lessons of the incident and will incorporate them into the IDF’s ongoing operations.”

For years, Frankcom had been delivering aid to malnourished people around the world via her work with the World Central Kitchen organisation. Picture: Supplied.

Earlier, it was revealed Australian diplomats in Israel had been briefed by the country’s military personnel ahead of the statement being publicly released.

Following the attack, the Israeli government launched an investigation into the attack, which Israel Defence Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner said had now been completed.

“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.

The IDF spokesperson apologised for the incident, remarking that it was a “very grave mistake”, which was due to a “misidentification” of the vehicle.

Following the air strike, the charity insisted that it had notified the IDF of its operations, as it sought to redress the humanitarian crisis which has affected 1.7 million displaced residents inside the embattled enclave.

Members of the Albanese government, including Foreign Minister Penny Wong, have paid tribute to killed aid worker Lalzawmi Frankcom. Picture: X

However, due to fears of a reprisal attack, the US based charity has since suspended operations in Gaza.

Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that the IDF was responsible for the attack.

“Unfortunately, in the last day, there was a tragic incident where our forces unintentionally struck innocent people in the Gaza Strip. It happens in war and we are thoroughly investigating it,” Mr Netanyahu said following the incident.