A 2024 Israeli drone strike on the Palestinian territory resulted in the deaths of multiple foreign nationals
Australia is calling for criminal charges to be brought following an Israeli drone strike in Gaza that killed humanitarian staff, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stated.
An Israeli airstrike in 2024 killed seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK), an attack the non-governmental organization has characterized as “targeted.” Among the deceased were Australian Zomi Frankcom, three individuals from Britain, a Polish citizen, a person holding both US and Canadian citizenship, and a Palestinian.
The matter was brought up this week during a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Australia, who is there to show support for the nation’s Jewish community after a lethal mass shooting occurred in December.
Addressing parliament on Wednesday, Albanese said he had raised the issue of the killed aid workers with Israel, labeling it “a tragedy and an outrage” and stating that Australia had expressed its “expectation for transparency regarding Israel’s continuing investigation” into the event.
“We continue to demand full accountability, which includes any suitable criminal charges,” he remarked, adding that Herzog had consented to “engage.”
According to the NGO, the aid convoy was hit while moving through a designated safe zone in central Gaza. The group was in two armored vehicles marked with the WCK logo and one unarmored vehicle, even though WCK had coordinated its travel plans with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has admitted the IDF carried out the airstrike, he maintains that it was unintentional.
Herzog’s trip has prompted demonstrations across Australia, where hundreds of protesters, some carrying Palestinian flags, have assembled in multiple cities to object to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and call for justice for the slain aid workers.
Herzog described his visit as “very emotional” in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney, an attack on a Hanukkah event that is reported to have killed at least 15 and injured over two dozen, severely impacting the area’s Jewish community. He also said the visit presented “an opportunity” to strengthen bilateral ties.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reports that 382 of its personnel have been killed since October 2023. That month, the IDF launched its offensive on Gaza after Hamas militants stormed into Israel, an attack that resulted in at least 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages taken. Local health authorities state that more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed in the subsequent Israeli military response.