SYDNEY: Israel is yet to provide a satisfactory explanation for the death of seven aid workers last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday as Australia appointed a senior former military official to study Israel’s inquiry into the incident.
Israel said on Friday its soldiers mistakenly believed they were attacking Hamas gunmen when airstrikes killed the mostly international group of World Central Kitchen staff, including Australian “Zomi” Frankcom. Two officers have been dismissed and others reprimanded.
Albanese said the explanation for the deaths was not adequate. Given that almost 200 aid workers had been killed in the conflict, Israel also needed to provide more information about what it would do to prevent similar events in the future, he added.
“We don’t find the explanations satisfactory to this point,” he said in an interview on state broadcaster ABC. “We need proper accountability, full transparency about the circumstances and I think that is what the Australian public would expect.”
Albanese declined to say what actions Australia would consider adequate or whether he would consider diplomatic sanctions should Israel fail to provide more information.
On Monday, Australia appointed a retired Air Force general to study Israel’s investigation and advise Canberra whether the inquiry was sufficient and whether further action was needed to hold those responsible accountable.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said last month Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was undermining his country’s international standing with his approach to the war.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has appointed retired defense force chief Mark Binskin as a special adviser working with Israel’s military on continuing investigations.
She said Australia “has made clear to the Israeli government our expectation and trust that this engagement will be facilitated.”
She said the Australian government “has been clear that we expect full accountability for these deaths.”
Wong said Binskin, a highly respected senior officer who also led Australia’s air force, would examine “measures taken to hold those responsible for accounting.”
She added that he would also advise the Australian government on whether further investigations or consequences were warranted.
US-based World Central Kitchen — founded by Spanish-American celebrity chef Jose Andres — said a “targeted attack” by Israeli forces had killed the seven aid workers.
The group included 43-year-old Australian national Frankcom and British, Palestinian, Polish and US-Canadian employees.