The Israeli military has ruled out releasing the audio of the drone strike that killed Zomi Frankcom, rejecting a key demand of the aid worker’s family and the Albanese government as they seek accountability for her death.
Israeli ambassador Hillel Newman called for Australians to accept the legitimacy of Israel’s investigation into the fatal 2024 drone strike and “move on”, prompting Foreign Minister Penny Wong to accuse the envoy of insulting Frankcom’s family.
Wong is considering the government’s response to the Israeli military advocate-general’s decision not to charge the officers involved in Frankcom’s killing amid calls from legal experts and members of parliament for an MH-17-style joint international investigation into the matter.
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to face voters on October 27, Israel is preparing for a new round of Australian sanctions against extremist settlers and settler organisations in the West Bank, where violence has been surging in recent months.
After previously saying he would check with authorities in Israel whether the audio of the drone strike could be released, Newman said the military had told him it would not be possible.
“The audio is of very low quality. I checked. It won’t change the case in any way,” Newman told reporters during a briefing at the Israeli embassy in Canberra.
“They are not sharing the audio, as far as I understand, because there might be intelligence issues that are connected to the audio.”
The Frankcom family have been eager to hear the audio because they believe it could provide important insights into the state of mind of the officers involved when they authorised the deadly strike against a convoy of World Central Kitchen workers.
Newman said it was the Israeli Defence Forces’ decision not to release the track.
“I haven’t heard the audio, I don’t know what’s on the audio,” he said.
Newman said investigators from the office of Israel’s military advocate-general had spent two years examining the drone strike and had access to all relevant material before deciding not to pursue criminal charges.
“We must accept that and move on,” he said.
“Of course it was a tragic situation, but these things do happen during a war situation, especially if [aid organisations] don’t update Israel about all the circumstances.”
Wong replied: “It is insulting to suggest Zomi’s family should simply accept what has happened and move on.
“Australia has consistently demanded a thorough investigation into the deaths of Zomi and her colleagues.
“Zomi’s family deserves answers, and transparency is essential to accountability.”
Wong said the government “will not stop pressing for justice for Zomi and her World Central Kitchen colleagues” and will “continue to engage closely with the Frankcom family on further action”.
Newman said he was “very sorry for the family”, adding he had offered to meet Frankcom’s relatives to express his sorrow for her death.
He repeated his suggestion that the Frankcom family could apply to receive compensation from the Israeli government and said Israel was ready to provide Australian officials more “clarification and dialogue” on the military advocate-general’s findings.
Independent MP Zali Steggall, who has advocated for the Frankcom family in parliament, said: “The IDF decided to strike a clearly marked humanitarian convoy – not once, but three times.
“Release of the drone audio may help to establish motive and identify who is responsible for this tragic and unlawful killing of seven aid workers.
“Israel’s lack of transparency only suggests it has something to hide.”
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert told this masthead last month that the decision not to charge the officers involved was “absolutely obnoxious and unacceptable and unbelievable” as he backed calls for an independent international probe.
The Frankcom family called for the Australian government to “seek full disclosure of the evidence underlying Israel’s decision, including the relevant visual and audio drone footage” when the decision not to prosecute the officers involved was announced in August.
Wong flagged last month that the government was preparing a new round of sanctions after Australia declined to join the United Kingdom, France and Canada in imposing a sweeping ban on commercial activity with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Applauding Australia for not joining the other countries, Newman said he had been in contact with the government and expected it to impose “pinpointed sanctions” against specific individuals and organisations.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told parliament on Thursday that the government was “pursuing further targeted measures in co-ordination with international partners to deter illegal settlements and settler violence” in the West Bank.
“Australia is not pursuing a blanket–style import ban. We have concerns about the implementation of a blanket ban and unintended consequences for Palestinians and other entities,” he said.
He added he was concerned such a ban could set back, rather than advance, a two-state solution.
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Matthew Knottis the foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect viaX,Facebookoremail.
