Key Points
- Penny Wong has condemned Israel’s air strike, highlighting the country was not above international law.
- Israel’s President has expressed “sincere apologies” for the death of Gaza aid workers.
- The workers killed included Australian, British, Palestinian, Polish and US-Canadian citizens.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has expressed the “outrage of the nation” and demanded “full responsibility” for the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Franko, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.
Wong spoke to her Israeli counterpart overnight, demanding a thorough investigation into the airstrike that killed at least seven aid workers.
“I expressed to him the death of any aid worker and the death of Zomi Frankcom was outrageous and unacceptable,” she told ABC Breakfast on Wednesday.
She told Israel’s foreign minister “That we condemn the strike. And we expect full accountability from Israel.”
She said that the war with Hamas militants did not “obviate” Israel of its “responsibility for observing international humanitarian law, including the protection of aid workers”.
Wong also warned Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “change course” and said Australia expects Netanyahu to speak directly to the government.
Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom was among seven employees from the World Central Kitchen killed in Gaza. Credit: Supplied
“I say again to you, publicly… that unless Israel, Mr Netanyahu, changes his course of action, Israel will continue to lose support,” she said.
Wong’s comments followed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying the Australian government is demanding “full accountability” for “a tragedy that should never have occurred,” Albanese told reporters on Tuesday.
Israel President apologies for IDF air strike
Israeli President Isaac Herzog apologised Tuesday for the air strike.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier stopped short of apologising for the deaths, which he described as a “tragic case” that would be investigated “right to the end”.
“It happens in war… we will do everything so that this thing does not happen again,” Netanyahu added.
The United States, Israel’s closest ally, said that there was no evidence Israel deliberately targeted the aid workers but that it was outraged by their deaths and Israel had an obligation to ensure aid workers in Gaza were not harmed.
Israeli president, Isaac Herzog has apologised for the deaths of the Gaza aid workers. Source: AAP / Bart Maat
The White House said it expected a broad and impartial investigation to be carried out with appropriate accountability.
“These people are heroes, they run into the fire, not away from it,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said of the seven aid workers, speaking to reporters in Paris. “We shouldn’t have a situation where people who are simply trying to help their fellow human beings are themselves at grave risk.”
Herzog said he spoke to Jose Andres, the US-based celebrity chef who heads the aid group World Central Kitchen, to express his “deep sorrow and sincere apologies over the tragic loss of life”.
AFPTV footage showed the roof of a white vehicle emblazoned with the group’s logo punctured with a blackened hole, alongside the mangled wreckage of other vehicles.
World Central Kitchen had earlier said a “targeted attack” by Israeli forces on Monday had killed its staff, which included Australian, British, Palestinian, Polish and US-Canadian citizens.
The charity, which has been delivering food aid to Gaza’s starving population, said its convoy was clearly marked and it had coordinated with the Israeli military to avoid any danger.
Since Hamas’s 7 October attack, Gaza has been under a near-complete siege, with the United Nations accusing Israel of preventing deliveries of humanitarian assistance to the 2.4 million Palestinians in the devastated territory.
UN agencies have repeatedly warned that northern Gaza is on the verge of famine, calling the situation a man-made crisis.
But Herzog said Israel was committed to “delivering and upgrading humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza”.
The Israeli military also said Tuesday they were looking at ways to coordinate safe aid deliveries.
Hamas’ 7 October attack resulted in about 1,160 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign, aimed at destroying Hamas, has killed at least 32,916 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
