Australia: 'Serious failures by IDF caused deaths of aid workers in April'

The Australian government blamed "serious failures to follow procedures" by IDF personnel for an airstrike in April in which seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers were killed, including an Australian citizen.

The finsing was the result of a review of the incident by special adviser Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, who found that there had been a "significant break down in situational awareness" in the leadup to the disaster.

Binskin found that the IDF had "not knowingly or deliberately directed" an attack on the WCK or its workers and called for Israel to issue an "appropriate apology" to the workers' families.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called the incident "inexcusable" and stated that the government would demand full accountability.

"This was not a one-off incident. The UN reports that more than 250 aid workers have been killed since the start of the conflict, and in recent weeks, a number of UN vehicles have come under attack," Wong claimed.

"The Australian government will persist until proper protections for aid workers are in place. The best protection for aid workers — and civilians — is a ceasefire," she said. "I have written to my Israeli counterpart to this end. We will continue to press for full accountability, including any appropriate criminal charges."

In April, the IDF dismissed two officers and formally reprimanded senior commanders after an inquiry into the incident.