Israeli soldiers fired for deadly aid workers attack that killed Australian woman

The Nightly

2 Min Read05 Apr, 2024

Mr Clare criticised Israel for Ms Frankcom’s death, saying it was not a one-off, as almost 200 aid workers had been killed so far. Darren England AAP, Supplied Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Amid widespread outrage over a strike that killed seven aid workers delivering food in the Gaza Strip, Israel punished five military officers on Friday and said it would take steps to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, including the reopening of a key border crossing into northern Gaza.

The Israeli military said it has dismissed two officers and reprimanded three others for their roles in the drone strikes, saying they mishandled critical information and violated the army’s rules of engagement.

One of the seven aid workers who lost their lives was Australian woman Zomi Frankcom.

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Frankcom was one of four aid workers working for a not-for-profit organisation — World Central Kitchen — when they were killed, along with their Palestinian driver, after their vehicle was struck on Monday local time.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office also announced plans to reopen the Erez border crossing between Israel and North Gaza, hours after U.S. President Joe Biden told him that future U.S. support for the war in Gaza depends on Israel doing more to protect civilians and aid workers.

The announcement of the border opening did not elaborate on quantities or types of items to be let in.

Despite their differences, the Biden administration has continued to provide crucial military aid and diplomatic support for Israel’s six-month war against Hamas.

Israel faces growing international isolation after its forces killed seven aid workers helping deliver food in Gaza.

The Palestinian death toll has passed 33,000, with another 75,600 people wounded, Gaza’s Health Ministry said. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its tally but says women and children make up two-thirds of the dead.

The United Nations says much of the population in northern Gaza is on the brink of starvation.

The top United Nations court has concluded there is a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza -- a charge Israel strongly denies -- and the U.N. Security Council has issued a legally binding demand for a cease-fire.

On Friday, the U.N.’s top human rights body passed a non-binding resolution condemning Israel’s conduct in the war and calling for other countries to stop shipping weapons to it.

The war began Oct. 7, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage.

-AP