Could Aid Relief In Gaza Halt After The Death Of Innocent Aid Workers?

Seven people, including one Australian, working from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) are confirmed to have been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. 

Zomi Frankcom was from Melbourne, Australia, and worked for WCK as the Relief Lead in Gaza. 

Other victims were British, Polish, Palestinian, and US-Canadian.

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In this afternoon’s Briefing episode, we talked to the former head of World Vision Australia, Reverend Tim Costello, discussing whether the already limited aid in the conflict will halt after this death. 

There have been 190 aid workers who have died in the conflict in six months.

“I have never seen any other conflict like this,” Costello said.

He was devastated by the news, and he hoped this would be a turning point in the conflict. 

“The comment that this happens in war is glib. It spoke to me of impunity, of recklessness.”

Since news of the attack broke, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spoken with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, conveying the country’s outrage over the death. 

“I expressed Australia’s anger and concern at the death of Zomi Frankcom to Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call this morning,” Albanese said.

He said that a preliminary review of the incident showed that the strikes were not carried out with the intention of killing aid workers, but resulted from a “misidentification” of the vehicles in the aid convoy in complex conditions during night time. 

“We have called for full transparency and accountability, and for aid to reach Gaza unimpeded and in large quantities.”

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