Foreign Minister Penny Wong has declared Australia is "outraged" after the Israeli Government announced it will not pursue criminal proceedings against those responsible for killing Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and her World Central Kitchen colleagues in Gaza last year. The announcement, delivered on World Humanitarian Day, drew immediate condemnation from the Albanese Government, with the Israeli Ambassador to Australia expected to be summoned to account for the decision.
Israel Rules Out Criminal Action Over World Central Kitchen Strike
The Israeli military released a statement confirming it had completed reviews of 150 incidents of troop conduct in Gaza and had made final determinations on five cases — including the April 2024 air strike that killed Frankcom and her colleagues in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
In that case, the military concluded there was "no reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct that would justify the opening of a criminal investigation". Two Israeli officers were dismissed from their positions and three senior officers received formal reprimands, but no criminal charges will follow.
The convoy, which was clearly marked as a humanitarian mission, was struck on 1 April 2024. The Israeli military initially claimed the convoy was being used by Hamas before later acknowledging a misidentification and errors in decision-making. Australia had requested footage from the drone strike on behalf of the Frankcom family, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese personally raised the matter with Israeli President Isaac Herzog during his visit to Australia in February.
Wong and Albanese Condemn Timing and Outcome
Senator Wong did not mince words in her response, describing the decision as falling "far short of the accountability we expect". She said the Australian Government was informed of the outcome only moments before it was publicly announced — on World Humanitarian Day — a detail she called "especially insulting to Zomi's loved ones, humanitarians and all Australians".
"Zomi represented the best of Australia. Her courage deserves to be celebrated. Her family deserves justice," Wong said in a statement.
Prime Minister Albanese, responding to questions in parliament from independent MP Sophie Scamps, described the closure of the investigation without criminal proceedings as "an outrage". He said the outcome was unacceptable despite Israel's own admission that the strikes resulted from "serious failures".
"Since the tragic killings, the government has consistently made clear our expectation for transparency, and we've pressed for full accountability," Albanese said, adding that his personal appeals to both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Herzog had not produced the result the family and Australia demanded.
Independent MP Sophie Scamps echoed calls — aligned with those of international human rights experts — for the Israeli ambassador to be expelled from Australia. Albanese said the government was consulting with the Frankcom family before deciding on any further diplomatic steps. Ambassador Dr Hillel Newman is expected to be formally summoned on Thursday.
Australia's Push for Accountability Has Been Ongoing
Australia has been active on the international stage in pursuing accountability for Frankcom's death and broader protections for humanitarian workers. Wong launched a declaration to protect humanitarian personnel on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2025, joined by Frankcom's brother, Mal.
The Israeli military's review also addressed two other high-profile incidents that prompted widespread international condemnation. The IDF confirmed it would proceed with investigations into the killing of five-year-old Hind Rajab and her family in February 2024, and the deaths of 15 Palestinian paramedics in May 2025.
Rajab was killed alongside relatives while attempting to flee Gaza City. The young girl spent hours pinned inside a vehicle, calling for help over a mobile phone while her aunt, uncle and cousins lay dead around her. When an ambulance finally reached the scene, contact with both the child and the rescuers was lost. Twelve days later, the bodies of Hind, her relatives, and two ambulance workers were recovered.
The 15 paramedics were killed when Israeli troops opened fire on their vehicles in Rafah, with the bodies later buried in a mass grave. The military initially claimed the vehicles had been advancing suspiciously without headlights or emergency signals, but later walked back that account after footage emerged showing the emergency teams travelling slowly with lights and markings clearly visible.
For further background on Australian foreign affairs during the period leading up to the conflict, see this reference on 2023 in Australia. As the situation in Gaza continues to evolve, the human toll on civilians and aid workers remains severe — a pattern documented in ongoing reporting on Israeli strikes in Gaza and stalled ceasefire negotiations.
What Happens Next
The Albanese Government has made clear it considers the matter far from closed. With the Israeli Ambassador set to be called in on Thursday and the Frankcom family still awaiting drone strike footage they have requested, diplomatic pressure is likely to intensify. The government has signalled it will continue to pursue every avenue for accountability — both bilaterally with Israel and through international mechanisms — as Australia waits to determine what further steps, including potential diplomatic consequences, may follow.
