‘Serious failures’ led Israel to strike aid workers

Serious errors, exacerbated by confirmation bias, led Israel to launch an airstrike on a humanitarian convoy that killed an Australian aid worker and six colleagues, government advice has found.

The Israeli Defense Force launched strikes in early April killed Australian Zomi Frankcom and six other World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers as they delivered food in Gaza.

Amid outrage over the deaths, the Australian government announced former Australian Defense Force chief Mark Binskin would serve as special adviser to the government on Israel’s response to the incident.

On Friday, his findings were officially delivered.

“It is my assessment that the IDF strike on the WCK aid workers was not knowingly or deliberately directed against the WCK,” he wrote.

He confirmed the deaths were the result of serious failures to follow Israeli Defense Force procedures, mistaken identification and errors in decision-making – aligning with Israel’s assessment the incident was a “serious mistake.”

The aid organisation’s convoy included white trucks with World Central Kitchen identification stickers, but these were not visible at night, Mr Binskin wrote.

Those at the brigade level of the Israeli Defense Force were unaware of the full details of the World Central Kitchen’s plan and were “certain that the ‘white pick-ups’ were Hamas vehicles.”

“It appears that the IDF controls failed, leading to errors in decision making and a misidentification, likely compounded by a level of confirmation bias,” the report read.

Mr Binskin said Israel’s response so far had been appropriate and “with some exceptions, sufficient” but emphasized an apology should be made to the families of those killed.

I have recommended Australia request regular updates on the investigation.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said the government would implement all of the recommendations and reiterated calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“Israel is bound by international law, which requires the protection of aid workers. Demonstrably, that did not occur in relation to Zomi Frankcom and her World Central Kitchen colleagues,” she told reporters in Adelaide.

“The best protection for aid workers – and civilians – is a ceasefire.

“We do believe an apology should be provided, I have also said that clear practical action is needed to ensure this tragedy is never repeated.”

Two Israeli officers have been removed and three reprimanded, but Ms Frankcom’s family says this is not enough and has called for a criminal investigation.

“The Australian government will continue to press for full accountability, including any appropriate criminal charges,” Senator Wong said.

The World Central Kitchen hired locally contracted security on its aid convoy, which had not been approved in its coordinations with the Israeli Defense Force, giving “the appearance of the presence of Hamas.”

An Israeli force member later mistakenly claimed he saw one of the convoy’s drivers place a “gun” into the vehicle.

Israel launched the strike soon after.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said Mr Binskin’s report was unnecessary and said the former ADF chief’s appointment was a “politically based decision”.

“IDF has… pointed out that they’ve made a mistake, as is the case in a theater of war,” he told reporters in Perth.

On October 7, Hamas – designated a terrorist organization by the government – launched an attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and led more than 200 to be taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.

In the months since, Israel has launched a bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza that has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, the local health ministry says.

About 1.9 million Gazans have been displaced while 495,000 are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.