SYDNEY, Australia — An Israeli strike that killed seven charity workers traveling in a Gaza aid convoy was the result of serious failures such as mistaken identification, an Australian government probe released Friday said.
Australian national Lalzawmi Zomi Frankcom was among a group of seven World Central Kitchen staff killed in April when their aid convoy was mistakenly hit by an Israeli airstrike.
The deaths — of an Australian, three Britons, a North American, a Palestinian and a Pole — triggered global outrage and a renewed push to ensure the safety of aid workers in Gaza.
Former Australian air force chief Mark Binskin was tasked with monitoring Israel’s response to the strike.
His declassified report, released Friday, found that three vehicles in the aid convoy were struck in relatively quick succession after they were tagged as suspicious.
An Israeli surveillance drone flagged the vehicles after determining some of the charity’s security personnel were carrying guns, Binksin found out.
Israel’s investigation into the deaths had been timely, appropriate and, with some exceptions, sufficient, he said.
In this incident, it appears that the IDF controls failed, leading to errors in decision-making and a misidentification, likely compounded by a level of confirmation bias.
The IDF has described the incident as a grave mistake.
In a statement accompanying the report, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia would push for full accountability from those responsible, including criminal charges if appropriate.
The Military Advocate General of Israel is still to decide on further action, she said in a statement.
Our expectation remains that there be transparency about the Military Advocate General’s process and decision.
Founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres, US-based charity World Central Kitchen provides food to areas ravaged by humanitarian crises and natural disasters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously admitted that the military had unintentionally killed the volunteers.
