Zomi Frankcom has been identified as the Australian aid worker killed by an Israeli air strike in Gaza.
The 44-year-old had been working with charity World Central Kitchen, a not-for-profit NGO providing meals in crises, for the last five years.
She and six other aid workers were killed in an Israeli air strike on Tuesday, while working to transport much-needed food to Palestinians.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was “urgently investigating” her death, and seeking “accountability”.
“Aid workers and those doing humanitarian work, and indeed all innocent civilians, need to be provided with protection,” he said, per ABC News.
“This news today is tragic. DFAT have also requested a call-in from the Israeli ambassador to Australia as well.
“We want full accountability for this. This is a tragedy that should never have occurred.”
Frankcom had spent her life in the service of others, including as a volunteer in Australia helping those affected by bushfires.
Albanese expressed his condolences to her family.
“I didn’t have the honour of knowing her, but the sort of values that are shown by someone going into a very dangerous place in order to assist mankind, their fellow humans, it says everything about the character of this young woman,” he said.
“This is a tragedy and my sincere condolences and that of the Australian government go to Zomi’s family, to her friends and all who knew her.”
Palestinian journalist Younis Tirawi first reported on social media that the Israeli military “bombed three cars belonging to foreign nationals” who worked for food charity organisation World Central Kitchen.
“The WCK team was traveling in a deconflicted zone in two armored cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle,” a statement from World Central Kitchen confirmed on Tuesday.
“Despite coordinating movements with the IDF, the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route.
“This is a tragedy. Humanitarian aid workers and civilians should NEVER be a target. EVER.”
World Central Kitchen confirmed the seven workers killed were from Australia, Poland, United Kingdom, the U.S. and Canada, and Palestine.
World Central Kitchen has a kitchen in Rafah and community kitchens across Gaza from which it feeds hundreds of thousands of starving Palestinians every day.
The charity’s CEO Erin Gore accused the IDF of “targeting” its aid vehicles in a searing statement published on its website.
“This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organisations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” she said.
“I am heartbroken and appalled that we — World Central Kitchen and the world — lost beautiful lives today because of a targeted attack by the IDF. The love they had for feeding people, the determination they embodied to show that humanity rises above all, and the impact they made in countless lives will forever be remembered and cherished.”
Mahmoud Thabet, a paramedic from the Palestinian Red Crescent who transported the bodies to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, told the Associated Press the car was struck while delivering aid that had arrived hours earlier from Cyprus.
World Central Kitchen has insisted that the vehicles were clearly embellished with its logo, and footage posted to Tirawi’s social media shows the remains of the bodies, including Frankcom’s, were wearing clothing and protective gear with the charity’s logo on it. (PEDESTRIAN.TV has chosen not to publish these images.)
The Israel Defence Force said it will investigate the “tragic incident”.
“Following the reports regarding the World Central Kitchen personnel in Gaza today, the IDF is conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident,” the IDF said in a statement.
“The IDF makes extensive efforts to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, and has been working closely with WCK in their vital efforts to provide food and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.”
In an earlier statement, Albanese said he was “concerned” about the “loss of life” in Gaza.
“My Government has supported a sustainable ceasefire, we’ve called for the release of hostages, and there have been far too many innocent lives – Palestinian and Israeli – lost during the Gaza Hamas conflict.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs has echoed his sentiments and said it has only ever called for the protection of civilians and aid workers.
“These reports are very distressing,” it said in a statement.
“We have been clear on the need for civilian lives to be protected in this conflict.
“We have been very clear that we expect humanitarian workers in Gaza to have safe and unimpeded access to do their lifesaving work.”
Since October 7, at least 32,845 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to Al Jazeera. More than 75,000 have been wounded. The Israeli death toll remains 1,139.
Image: Anadolu / Getty
