Australia appoints special adviser to look at IDF strike inquiry

Australia on Monday announced it appointed a special adviser to monitor an Israeli investigation into the airstrike on the Gaza Strip a week ago which killed seven aid workers.

Mark Binskin, who has previously served as chief of the Australian Defence Force, "will engage with Israel and the Israel Defense Forces [IDF] on the response to the attack which killed Zomi [Frankcom] and her colleagues," Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement.

"The Australian Government has been clear that we expect full accountability for these deaths," Wong said. "The appointment of ACM Binskin will ensure the family of Zomi Frankcom, and the Australian people can have confidence in this process."

Frankcom, an Australian citizen, was one of seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) employees killed in an IDF airstrike on the Gaza Strip on April 1.

The other six aid workers were from Poland, Britain, a dual citizen of the US and Canada, and the Palestinian Territories.

An Israeli investigation published on Friday said the incident was "a serious failure." The aid convoy was attacked on the suspicion that two armed members of the Palestinian militant organization Hamas were in a vehicle, the investigation said.

The Israeli forces did not recognize the vehicles as belonging to the aid organization, although they were clearly marked. The attacks were a "serious violation of the army's orders and standard operating procedures," the report added.

"The results of the investigation indicate that the incident should not have happened."

The IDF removed two officers from their posts in response to the incident.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that "the information that Israel has provided so far on its investigation hasn't yet satisfied our expectations."

"So, we would expect that Mr Binskin will be able to work in a way that provides greater information to Australia," Albanese told national broadcaster ABC.

"We want to ensure that all evidence is preserved. We want to ensure that if the investigation finds that the Israeli Defence Force personnel have not acted in accordance with the law, then appropriate action should be taken and such action should be made public."