Zomi investigation delivers new low in Australia-Israel relations

Moral reckoning around unintentional acts of killing in war is always thorny.

The IDF’s investigation into the air strike that left seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers dead – including Australian Zomi Frankcom – concluded this week that there was “no reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct that would justify the opening of a criminal investigation”.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong is furious that there will be no criminal proceedings brought against any IDF officer over the April 2024 incident. “Australia is outraged the Israeli Government has decided not to pursue criminal proceedings,” Wong said in a statement this week.

“This decision falls far short of the accountability we expect. Democracies seek and accept higher standards. The Australian Government will not stop pressing Israel for justice for Zomi and her colleagues.” WCK echoed Wong’s words, also condemning the IDF decision.

Wong summoned Israeli Ambassador Hillel Newman to convey Australia’s anger at the decision.

The IDF report said its officers had “mistakenly believed that the vehicles contained Hamas military operatives and therefore struck the vehicles”.

It claimed that attempts were made to contact WCK representatives during “the approximately half-hour period in which the convoy vehicles were tracked on the understanding that they contained Hamas operatives”, but those attempts were unsuccessful.