Israel accuses Wong over deaths report

Tensions between Israel and the federal government have intensified following the release of a highprofile report into the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, with Israeli officials accusing Foreign Minister Penny Wong of misrepresenting the findings.
Israeli officials were angered by Wong’s response to former Australian Defence Force chief Mark Binskin’s report on Friday, believing she overemphasised its negative conclusions and downplayed more positive aspects.
Israeli officials were especially incensed that Wong on Friday described the April killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers as an ‘‘intentional strike’’ when Binskin’s report affirmed the Israel Defence Forces’ initial finding that workers were not deliberately targeted and their deaths were a result of procedural failures.
In its first statement since the report’s release, the Israeli embassy in Canberra said the IDF had taken ‘‘full responsibility for the grave mistakes that led to the tragic incident’’, but stopped short of delivering an official apology recommended by Binskin and backed by the Albanese government.
‘‘The Australian government’s statement about the report regrettably included some misrepresentations about omitted crucial details with respect to the manner in which the report was conducted, the degree of co-operation and openness exhibited by the IDF, and even with respect to certain aspects of the tragic incident itself,’’ the embassy said.
‘‘The report explicitly reaffirms that the IDF is a professional and disciplined army, with similar legal views, standards and controls in place to mitigate the risks of war, like the ADF [Australian Defence Force].’’
Relations between Israel and the federal government have deteriorated as the war in Gaza has continued, with Israel opposing Australia’s decision to back resolutions supporting a ceasefire and greater representation for Palestine at the United Nations.
The embassy said while Binskin ‘‘had no investigative authority or mandate’’, the IDF ‘‘fully engaged with him and provided him with access to all areas requested, including evidence, high-level officials and operational processes, in order to contribute to the Australian people’s understanding of how this incident occurred and how it has been investigated’’.
The embassy noted Binskin’s report found it was likely the security contractors employed in Gaza by World Central Kitchen gave the appearance of a Hamas presence and it could not be ruled out the security personnel had links to Hamas.
Wong said on Friday the government believed Israel should apologise to Frankcom’s family and it would continue to press for any appropriate criminal charges.
Wong’s office was contacted for comment yesterday.
The Frankcom family said while Binskin’s role had some limitations, they regarded his report as an important first step.
‘‘We hope it will be followed by further investigations in Israel regarding those responsible for this tragic event, followed by appropriate action,’’ the family said.