Sydney - An Israeli strike that killed seven charity workers travelling in a Gaza aid convoy was the result of “serious failures” such as “mistaken identification”, an Australian government probe released Friday found. 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 air strike.
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. The strike was the result of a “significant breakdown in situational awareness,” he added. 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.
