Senator the Hon. Penny Wong - Press Conference
20 August 2026
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Press Conferences Australian Parliament
11:48 - 15:08
Speaker 3
Good afternoon, thanks very much for coming. As I said in my statement this morning, Australia is outraged by the Israeli government's decision to not pursue any criminal proceedings against those responsible for killing Zomi Frankcom and her World Central Kitchen colleagues. Australian government learned of Israel's decision late last night, moments before it was announced on World Humanitarian Day. This is the day we commemorate humanitarian workers lost and celebrate and commend the work of humanitarians everywhere. We had just launched the Zomi Frankcom Humanitarian Award.
And we didn't have the opportunity to inform Zomi's family before Israel's decision was made public because of the lack of notice. To learn of these developments in these circumstances was especially insulting and hurtful to Zomi's loved ones, to humanitarians, and to Australians. And today I called in Ambassador Hillel Newman, the Israeli Ambassador to Australia. And I made clear to him Australia's views that Israel's decision falls far short of the accountability we expect. And last night Australia's Ambassador to Israel conveyed the same message directly to Israeli authorities, including the office of the Foreign Minister.
There are still many unanswered questions. These include why, even if the first strike was a catastrophic error, two further strikes followed each two minutes apart. As Mark Binskin concluded in his public report, these strikes were in violation of Israeli Defense Force standard operating procedures and rules of engagement. We still have not had a satisfactory explanation of why the strike occurred in a humanitarian fire control zone and after high command had directed the brigade commander not to engage the convoy. We have not had a satisfactory explanation regarding the senior brigade officer involved in the strikes being a signatory to a letter to the IDF Chief of the General Staff calling for aid to be restricted to Gaza.
We have not received the drone audio as requested multiple times by the government on behalf of Zomi's family. The Australian government does not believe that the removal of two officers from their positions and three officers being reprimanded is sufficient accountability for the deaths of seven people, including an Australian citizen. And we do not have confidence in the IDF's Military Advocate General's process given the many unanswered questions. And I would note this follows a case where the former Military Advocate General was arrested after allegedly acting as a whistleblower and leaking surveillance footage showing Israeli soldiers abusing Palestinian detainees. I have said many times and I say it again: democracies seek and accept higher standards.
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