Israel called to back Australian review of aid worker deaths

The Albanese government is pressing Israel to take further action against the troops responsible for the killing of Australian Zomi Frankcom and six fellow aid workers if they are found guilty of wrongdoing.

It is also urging Israel to cooperate with an Australian review – which an international law expert described as ‘‘unprecedented in modern times’’ – of the Israeli Defence Forces’ investigation into the strikes on the aid convoy in Gaza.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong decried the operation that killed the aid workers as a ‘‘deadly failure’’.

‘‘It cannot be brushed aside, and it cannot be covered over,’’ Wong said yesterday.

‘‘We believe these deaths are utterly inexcusable, and clear practical action is needed to ensure these tragedies [are] never repeated. We reiterate that appropriate action must be taken against the individuals who are responsible for these tragic events.’’

The investigation by the IDF – released late on Friday – resulted in two Israeli officers being stood down from their positions and disciplinary action taken against two commanding officers.

The review found the killings occurred after IDF troops mistakenly concluded that Hamas gunmen were travelling with the World Central Kitchen charity convoy and concluded the operation was ‘‘carried out in serious violation of the commands and IDF standard operating procedures’’.

Israel has not given any indication about whether any military personnel will face criminal charges for their involvement in the killings of the seven charity workers.

It is also unclear whether the two officers who were stood down – a major and a colonel-in-reserve – will be fired from the military altogether or shifted to other positions.

Australian officials have not yet seen the full Israeli investigation, which was completed within three days.

The government is calling on Israel to maintain all relevant evidence and for the IDF to be prepared to change its targeting practices in the war in Gaza.

Highlighting the government’s lack of faith in the credibility of the Israeli military justice system, Wong called on Israeli officials to cooperate with a yet-to-be-named special adviser appointed by the federal government.

‘‘We expect that if the investigation finds that IDF personnel have not acted in accordance with the law or procedures, that appropriate action be taken against those personnel and that such action be made public,’’ she said.

Australian National University international law professor Don Rothwell said the government’s decision to appoint a special adviser to review Israel’s investigation into the killings was ‘‘unprecedented in modern times’’.

‘‘In short, the Australian government is appointing a special adviser to review the actions of a friendly foreign country’s military actions directed against an Australian and by extension World Central Kitchen,’’ Rothwell said.

‘‘I cannot think of a single instance of this type of unilateral conduct by Australia having occurred previously.’’

Rothwell said the other nations whose citizens died in the Israeli drone strikes – Canada, the United Kingdom, Poland and the United States – had not announced similar measures.