Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, who was among seven killed in Gaza airstrike, died as a result of Israeli ‘failures’

Serious errors led to Israel launching an airstrike on a humanitarian convoy, killing an Australian aid worker and six colleagues, government advice shows.

The Israel Defense Forces carried out attacks in early April that killed Australian Zomi Frankcom and six other World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers as they delivered food in Gaza.

Amid outrage over the deaths, the Australian government announced that former Australian Defence Force chief Mark Binskin would become the government’s special adviser on Israel’s response to the incident.

His findings were officially presented on Friday.

“I believe that the Israeli army’s attack on the WCK aid workers was not consciously or intentionally directed against the WCK,” he wrote.

He confirmed that the deaths were the result of serious failures in following Israel Defense Forces procedures, misidentification and errors in decision-making, joining the Israeli assessment that the incident was a “serious mistake.”

The aid agency’s convoy consisted of white trucks with World Central Kitchen identification stickers, but these were not visible at night, Mr. Binskin wrote.

The brigade-level people in the Israel Defense Forces were not aware of the full details of the World Central Kitchen plan and were “certain that the ‘white pickups’ were Hamas vehicles.”

“It appears that the Israeli military’s controls failed, leading to errors in decision-making and misidentification, likely exacerbated by some degree of confirmation bias,” the report said.

Mr Binskin said the Israeli response so far had been appropriate and “with a few exceptions, sufficient”, but stressed that an apology should be made to the families of the victims.

He advised Australia to request regular updates on the investigation.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the government would implement all recommendations and reiterated its call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“Israel is bound by international law, which requires the protection of aid workers. That has demonstrably not happened in relation to Zomi Frankcom and her colleagues at World Central Kitchen,” she told reporters in Adelaide.

‘The best protection for aid workers – and civilians – is a ceasefire.

Ms. Frankcom was one of seven World Central Kitchen volunteers killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes on Monday (pictured is the wreckage of one of the three cars)

“We believe that an apology should be made. I have also said that clear, practical measures are needed to ensure that this tragedy never happens again.”

Two Israeli officers have been fired and three have been reprimanded, but Frankcom’s family believes this is not enough and has called for a criminal investigation.

“The Australian Government will continue to press for full accountability, including possible criminal charges,” Senator Wong said.

World Central Kitchen hired armed, locally hired security for its aid convoy that was not approved in coordination with Israeli forces, “creating the impression that Hamas was present.”

An Israeli Defense Forces member later falsely claimed that he had seen one of the convoy’s drivers place a “gun” in the vehicle.

Shortly afterwards, Israel began its attack.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said Binskin’s report was unnecessary and the appointment of the former ADF leader was a “politically motivated decision”.

“The IDF has … pointed out that they made a mistake, as often happens in a war zone,” he told reporters in Perth.

On October 7, Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the government, launched an attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostage, Israeli authorities said.

In the months since, Israel has launched a bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza, killing nearly 40,000 Palestinians, the local Health Ministry said.

About 1.9 million Gazans are displaced and 495,000 people face severe food insecurity.