Zomi Frankcom: Tragic accident of war no reason for us to change policy

Australian aid worker Lalzawmi ‘Zomi’ Frankcom was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza.

The death of Zomi Frankcom and the other aid workers is an unmitigated tragedy.

At the very least, it’s an appalling mistake by the Israel Defence Forces.

Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong are right to demand a full inquiry and full transparency of the incident.

They are also right to express the sorrow and grief of the Australian nation.

Non-political aid workers are the bravest and often the finest people there are.

It’s impossible to believe this was other than a tragic accident, mistake or misidentification by Israeli forces.

To have done this intentionally would not only be a heinous war crime, it would also be strategically insane.

No single incident since the beginning of the military action in Gaza has harmed Israel more, politically and strategically, than this.

Israeli political and military leaderships have rightly apologised for the deaths.

However, Albanese and Wong should not use this tragedy as an excuse to change Australian policy.

They should recall that there is not a single war in which Australia has participated in which our soldiers, among the finest in the world, have not inadvertently killed some civilians.

This is an ineradicable part of the gruesome truth of war, which is always horrible and full of grief, but sometimes unavoidable.

Wong says Israel must change its ways or lose international support.

What does she mean by this?

That Israel must unilaterally cease operations while Hamas refuses to release Israeli hostages?

That the Hamas battalions in Rafa should be allowed to re-emerge as the backbone of a new Hamas government in Gaza?

Israel is investigating this tragedy and has accepted responsibility and apologised.

That is little comfort to a grieving family, but it is the greatest possible contrast to Israel’s enemies, who rejoice and celebrate with abandon the sadistic torture and murder of civilians.