Australia says relations with Israel ‘difficult’ after probe into killing of aid workers dropped

Australia’s foreign minister has said relations with Israel are “difficult” after Israel announced this week it would not open criminal investigations into the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers killed in Gaza in April 2024.

Diplomatic fallout in Canberra

Foreign Minister Penny Wong summoned Israel’s ambassador, Hillel Newman, over the decision. Wong described the announcement as “especially insulting and hurtful” because it was made on World Humanitarian Day, and said “we do not have confidence” in Israel’s investigation into the killings.

Wong told journalists the Australian government would “continue to keep pressing Israel for justice” and had asked Canberra’s envoy in Israel to “convey our views directly” to the government there.

Statements from the Israeli envoy and aid organisations

Following his meeting with Wong, Ambassador Newman told journalists he had expressed “deep sorrow and grief” to the family of Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom, an Australian national who was among the seven aid workers killed when their convoy was hit by an Israeli air strike.

Newman said, “Israel had no intention to attack or injure in any way the aid workers that were on the convoy,” and that “the decision is that there’s no criminal liability. We must respect that conclusion.” He also said there were “a lot of haters of Israel in Australia.”

Calls for further inquiry

The US-based charity World Central Kitchen called the decision “inconsistent with the full truth and deeply offensive” and demanded an independent commission to investigate.

Founder Jose Andres wrote on X that the decision was “wrong and is painful for all of us. There was no excuse for their attacks on our team.”

Context from Israeli leadership

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously said that the military had “unintentionally” killed the volunteers.

What happened

In April 2024 an aid convoy was hit by an Israeli air strike, killing seven World Central Kitchen staff, including Australian national Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom. Their deaths prompted global outrage and calls to improve the safety of aid workers in Gaza.