Australia has found an Israeli attack on a Gaza aid convoy in April was the result of “serious failures” but was not deliberate.
Six foreign aid workers and their Palestinian driver were killed in the air attack on the World Central Kitchen convoy. The dead included Australian Zomi Frankcom, as well as three Britons, a North American and a Pole.
A declassified report by former Australian air force chief Mark Binskin, which was released on Friday, found that the three vehicles in the WCK convoy were “struck in relatively quick succession” after Israeli forces tagged it as suspicious because some of the group’s security team were armed and they mistakenly believed the convoy was being hijacked by Hamas fighters.
The strike was the result of a “significant breakdown in situational awareness,” said Binskin, who travelled to Israel for his investigation.
The killings drew widespread condemnation from around the world, and accusations that Israel had deliberately targeted the air workers, a claim it rejected.
Founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres, US-based charity WCK provides food to areas ravaged by humanitarian crises, natural disasters and conflict. It suspended its operations following the attack, noting that it had coordinated the convoy’s movements with the Israeli military, and that its vehicles were clearly marked.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously admitted that the military had struck the convoy but said it was unintentional. The military described it as a grave mistake.
Binskin said that on the information available to him, the “strike on the WCK aid workers was not knowingly or deliberately directed against the WCK”.
Israel’s investigation into the attack had been “timely, appropriate and, with some exceptions, sufficient,” he added.
“In this incident, it appears that the IDF [Israeli Defence Force] controls failed, leading to errors in decision making and a misidentification, likely compounded by a level of confirmation bias.”
In a statement accompanying the report, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia would push for full accountability from those responsible, including criminal charges if appropriate.
“The Military Advocate General of Israel is still to decide on further action,” she said in a statement.
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