Australia has condemned an Israeli military decision not to open a criminal investigation into the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six of her colleagues in Gaza.
Frankcom, who worked for the humanitarian organisation World Central Kitchen (WCK), was killed in an Israeli airstrike in April 2024 while travelling with other members of the aid group.
The seven victims included Frankcom, three British nationals, a Palestinian, a Polish national and a dual US-Canadian citizen. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she was “outraged” by the decision, arguing that it fell well short of the accountability Australia expected. The government subsequently summoned Israeli Ambassador Hillel Newman to discuss the matter.
Following his meeting with Wong, Newman defended the Israeli military’s handling of the case. He said the investigation had found “no criminal intention” and therefore no basis for criminal responsibility.
But Wong said significant questions remained unanswered. Among them, she questioned why three separate strikes hit the convoy within minutes if the first strike had been the result of what Israel itself described as a catastrophic error. She also rejected the disciplinary measures taken after the initial investigation as insufficient. Two officers were removed from their positions and three others were reprimanded following the probe.
Wong said Australian authorities had also repeatedly requested audio from the drone involved in the attack but had still not received it.
Israeli Military’s Account
The Israeli military said its investigation identified serious failures surrounding the operation but found that the commanders’ decisions did not create reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), an armed guard travelling with the convoy had not been identified to the military before the journey began and was mistakenly identified as a Hamas fighter.
The IDF also alleged that the convoy had moved away from the route previously coordinated with the military. Wong strongly disputed the adequacy of that explanation. Further pointing to an earlier report by former Australian Defence Force chief Mark Binskin.
Binskin’s report, released in August 2024, found “serious failures” in IDF procedures had contributed to the deaths. At the time, the Israeli military described the attack as a “grave mistake”.
Wong said the latest decision was particularly offensive because it was announced around World Humanitarian Day. She said Australia’s government would continue pushing Israel to deliver justice for Frankcom and her colleagues.
WCK has also rejected the Israeli military’s conclusion and called for an independent investigation. The organisation said the IDF could not credibly investigate its own conduct and accused the military investigation of confusing different events and shifting responsibility for what it described as illegal conduct. WCK maintained that the military knew its team was unarmed and that the vehicles were clearly marked as humanitarian vehicles. It also said the IDF had advance information about the identities, movements and activities of the aid workers.
Relationship Tested
The disagreement has placed further strain on Australia’s relationship with Israel over the Gaza war. Wong’s criticism represents one of Australia’s strongest public condemnations of the Israeli military since the conflict began.
Newman expressed sympathy for the victims’ families. However, he said he would not apologise for the deaths, arguing that doing so could have legal consequences. He also accused some Australians of harbouring hostility towards Israel.
The Israeli military’s decision regarding Frankcom was announced alongside decisions concerning several other deaths in Gaza. The IDF said it would open a criminal investigation into the 2024 killing of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab. An ambulance sent to rescue her, after coordination with the Israeli army, was subsequently shelled, killing two paramedics.
The military also said it would investigate the deaths of 15 Palestinians, including medical workers and a UN employee. Ones whose bodies were discovered in shallow graves beside crushed vehicles in March 2025.
The different decisions have added to calls from humanitarian organisations and governments for independent scrutiny of Israeli military operations in Gaza. Particularly where civilian and humanitarian workers have been killed.
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