04/06/2024April 6, 2024
Australia to appoint a special advisor to probe Israeli airstrike on aid convoy
has announced that it will assign a special adviser to collaborate with Israel in order to ensure that the investigations into the Israeli strike on an aid convoy in Gaza are conducted with complete confidence.
The strike resulted in the death of seven aid workers in the Gaza Strip, including an Australian national.
“We want to have full confidence in the transparency and accountability of any investigation and we will continue to work to achieve that,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a televised media conference in Adelaide.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday said on the World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy in Gaza, killing seven workers on a food delivery mission, had been dismissed.
The findings of an investigation into the Monday killings said the soldiers had mishandled critical information and violated the army’s terms of engagement.
Wong described the dismissals as “necessary first steps” but said the government had told Israel in a letter sent overnight that “initial responses suggest that the gravity of the death of seven humanitarian workers is yet to be appreciated by the Israeli government.”
“This cannot be brushed aside,” Wong said, adding that she expected all evidence in the investigations to be preserved.
Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom was killed in the strike with Polish, British, Palestinian, and US-Canadian nationals.
“We believe these deaths are utterly inexcusable and clear practical action is needed to ensure these tragedies are never repeated,” Wong said.
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