Australia-Israel Ties Face ‘Difficult Time’, Says Foreign Minister Penny Wong

Australia Summons Israeli Envoy After No Criminal Probe Into Aid Worker Deaths

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has expressed outrage over Israel’s decision not to pursue a criminal investigation into the 2024 Gaza strike that killed Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six other World Central Kitchen employees.

Speaking to reporters in Canberra on Thursday after meeting Israeli ambassador Hillel Newman, Wong described the situation as a “difficult time” for Australia-Israel relations.

“We have an Australian humanitarian worker who was killed not on the first strike, but in the context of three separate strikes on a humanitarian convoy,” Wong said.

Australia summoned Newman after the Israeli military announced that it had found no grounds to launch criminal proceedings over the April 1, 2024 attack. Wong said she was “outraged” by the decision and had instructed Australia’s ambassador to Israel to communicate Canberra’s position directly to the Israeli government.

“This decision falls far short of the accountability we expect,” Wong said, adding that Australia was considering its next steps.

The Israeli military said on Wednesday that its review found no basis for opening criminal investigations into the deaths of the seven World Central Kitchen workers, who were delivering food and humanitarian supplies in Gaza.

Frankcom, 43, was among those killed when Israeli strikes hit the clearly marked aid convoy. The other victims were citizens of Poland, Britain, Palestine, the United States and Canada.

Israel had previously called the attack a “grave mistake” and dismissed two officers, saying the strikes breached military rules of engagement.

An Australian government review released in August 2024 found “serious failures” in the Israeli military’s procedures and a significant breakdown in situational awareness. Led by former Australian Air Force chief Mark Binskin, the review concluded that the convoy was not deliberately targeted but found that failures in communication, coordination and information-sharing contributed to the fatal misidentification.

The review also found that all three vehicles were struck within a short period, with the attacks occurring roughly two minutes apart. Wong had previously said Australia would continue pressing Israel for full accountability, including appropriate criminal action over what she described as the “inexcusable” deaths.

The killings sparked international condemnation and renewed concerns about the safety of humanitarian workers operating in Gaza amid the ongoing war. Australia has repeatedly called for greater protection for aid workers and civilians and has urged Israel to ensure that its accountability process is transparent.

Following Israel’s latest decision, Wong said Canberra was now assessing what further steps it could take.