Canberra taps former defense chief to scrutinize killing of Australian aid worker
Zomi Frankcom was among 7 World Central Kitchen staff killed by Israeli strike in Gaza; ex-military chief Mark Binskin appointed after Australia calls IDF probe ‘unsatisfactory’
Australia on Monday tasked a former military chief with monitoring Israel’s probe into the deaths of seven aid workers in Gaza, seeking “full accountability” for the killings.
Australian national Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom was among the group of seven World Central Kitchen volunteers killed on April 1 in an Israeli airstrike on central Gaza’s Deir El-Balah.
Mark Binskin, a former chief of Australia’s Defense Force, was appointed by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Monday to serve as a special adviser working with Israel’s military on continuing investigations.
Israel’s military said on Friday that the strike had been a result of “serious mistakes” and that it had fired two senior officers in the aftermath, but its attempts to explain have done little to curb international outrage.
The probe found that the strike was ordered against the convoy of WCK vehicles after officers suspected they carried a Hamas gunman, despite a low level of confidence, and against army regulations. The officers did not identify the vehicles as belonging to WCK when the strike was ordered, according to the investigation.
Speaking to state broadcaster ABC on Monday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Canberra does not “find the explanations to be satisfactory at this point.”
“We need proper accountability, we need full transparency about the circumstances and I think that is what the Australian public would expect,” said Albanese.
Wong has also been deeply critical of Israel’s initial response. Announcing Binskin’s appointment via X on Monday, Wong wrote, “The Australian government has been clear that we expect full accountability for these deaths.”
Binskin, a highly respected senior officer who also led Australia’s air force, would examine “measures taken to hold those responsible to account,” Wong said in a statement.
He would also advise the Australian government on whether further investigations or consequences were warranted, she added.
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, as well as British, Palestinian, Polish and US-Canadian employees.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later admitted that the military had “unintentionally” killed the volunteers.
