Israeli strike that killed aid worker ‘not deliberate’

[Pelican Press 0]

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******** strike that ******* aid worker ‘not deliberate’

An ******** airstrike that hit a humanitarian convoy, ******** an *********** aid worker and her colleagues, was “not knowingly or deliberately directed”, according to advice received by the *********** government.

The ******** Defence Force launched strikes in early April that ******* *********** aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six other World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers as they were delivering food in Gaza.

Amid fierce outrage, the *********** government called for full accountability and announced former *********** Defence Force chief Mark Binskin would serve as special adviser to the government on *******’s response to the incident.

On Friday, Mr Binskin’s findings were officially delivered.

“It is my assessment that the IDF strike on the WCK aid workers was not knowingly or deliberately directed against the WCK,” he wrote.

He confirmed the deaths were the result of serious failures to follow IDF procedures, mistaken identification and errors in decision-making – consistent with the IDF’s own assessment the incident was a “grave mistake”.

Mr Binskin said *******’s response so far had been appropriate and “with some exceptions, sufficient”.

He recommended Australia request regular updates on the investigation process, brief Ms Frankcom’s family and advocates for their requests, among a host of other suggestions.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said the government would implement all of Mr Binskin’s recommendations and reiterated calls for a ceasefire.

“We are working with the UN and the international community to press ******* to reform its coordination with humanitarian organisations, to ensure the tragic deaths of Zomi Frankcom and her World Central Kitchen colleagues are not in vain and not repeated,” she said in a statement.

“The *********** government will persist until proper protections for aid workers are in place.

“The best protection for aid workers – and civilians – is a ceasefire.”

Senator Wong has written to her ******** counterpart urging transparency as *******’s accountability process continues.

“We will continue to press for full accountability, including any appropriate ********* charges,” she said.

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