Australia Calls for Criminal Accountability Due to Gaza Aid Worker Strike
The 2024 airstrike claimed the lives of seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) staff members. The organization has described the strike as “targeted.” Among those killed were Australian national Zomi Frankcom, three British citizens, a Polish citizen, a dual US-Canadian national, and a Palestinian aid worker.
The matter resurfaced during the current visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Australia, where he is expressing solidarity with the country’s Jewish community after a deadly mass shooting in December.
Addressing parliament on Wednesday, Albanese said he had directly raised the issue with Israeli officials. He described the deaths as “a tragedy and an outrage” and emphasized that Australia expects “expectation that there be transparency about Israel’s ongoing investigation” into the incident.
“We continue to press for full accountability, including any appropriate criminal charges,” he stated, adding that Herzog had agreed to “engage.”
According to the NGO, the aid workers were traveling through a designated de-conflicted area in central Gaza when their convoy was struck. The vehicles included two armored cars bearing the WCK logo and a standard vehicle. The organization has said it had coordinated its movements in advance with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that Israeli forces carried out the strike but maintains it was unintentional.
Herzog’s trip to Australia has prompted demonstrations across several cities, where protesters gathered—some carrying Palestinian flags—to criticize Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and call for accountability over the aid workers’ deaths.
Speaking to reporters, Herzog described his visit as “very emotional” in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney, which targeted a Hanukkah event and reportedly killed at least 15 people while injuring more than two dozen others. He added that the trip also presented “an opportunity” to strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations.
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