Albanese calls Frankcom decision ‘an outrage’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called the Israel Defence Forces’ decision not to open a criminal investigation into the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom an outrage, and signalled Australia will press Israel for an independent inquiry.

The IDF announced last week it had found no reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct over the April 2024 drone strikes that killed Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues, while acknowledging serious failures in targeting.

Albanese told ABC‘s 7.30 there was a need for a far more transparent explanation from Israel, and that an independent investigation was among the options that should be considered.

“It’s certainly not good enough that on World Humanitarian Day of all days, they release this so-called report that essentially says yes, we’re responsible, but nothing to see here,” he said. “Zomi represented the best of Australians … she deserves better, her family deserve better, and frankly, Australia deserves better.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who called in Israel’s ambassador Hillel Newman, said the decision fell “far short of the accountability we expect”.