The Greens have criticised inflammatory statements from the former Israel Defense Forces officer who ordered the attack that killed Zomi Frankcom, accusing the Albanese government of weakness over its failure to halt military exports and impose new sanctions.
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that → criticise → sanctions
Australian aid worker Frankcom and six of her colleagues were killed in 2024 while bringing food to the people of Gaza.
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Frankcom → kill → Gaza
Former IDF reserve colonel Nochi Mendel has said he would do “exactly the same thing” again and that those killed in the World Central Kitchen (WCK) humanitarian convoy in Gaza were “not innocent”.
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those → say → Gaza
The statements have been condemned as “utterly disgraceful” by Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, and as an “outrageous smear” by WCK’s humanitarian chief.
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statements → condemn → chief
But the Greens’ defence spokesperson, David Shoebridge, said the government’s response was insufficient in the face of Mendel’s “reprehensible” statements.
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response → say → statements
He said the comments “reflect the rhetoric and policy of the Israeli government, where collective punishment of aid workers, doctors and innocent civilians is occurring daily”.
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punishment → say → workers
“I do not care what minister Wong’s personal feelings are, I don’t care about her outrage, I care about the actions taken as foreign minister,” Shoebridge told Guardian Australia.
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Shoebridge → care → Australia
“Anyone can condemn the actions of the Israeli military, but only the government can impose the sanctions and material responses needed.
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government → condemn → sanctions
Until they do their words are distractions.
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words → do → ?
”
He called for material reprimand for members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and for the sale of parts for the F-35 fighter jet to be immediately halted.
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sale → call → jet
José Andrés, the WCK founder, said Mendel had smeared Frankcom and her colleagues.
“
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Mendel → say → Frankcom
Now, one of the officers involved says he isn’t sorry for what happened.
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what → involve → officers
He said we are not a neutral organisation,” he said in a statement published online this week.
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he → say → statement
Let me be very clear, to him and to the whole world.
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me → let → world
We believe that food is a universal human right.”
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food → believe → ?
Mendel, then the chief of staff of the Nahal brigade, said he gave the order to attack a humanitarian convoy delivering hundreds of tonnes of food to Gaza on the night of 1 April 2024.
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he → say → April
Three vehicles in the convoy were attacked along Gaza’s coast road, in successive drone strikes, each about two minutes apart.
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each → attack → strikes
One after another, the three vehicles were bombed, as survivors from the initial strikes ran to the untouched cars, seeking sanctuary.
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survivors → bomb → sanctuary
An IDF investigation found the attack was a grave mistake, identifying specific errors made by a handful of officers, in particular Mendel, who was removed from his position.
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who → find → position
The victims of the strike were also blamed for hiring armed guards to protect the food aid convoy and for allegedly “deviating” from their agreed route.
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victims → blame → route
Last month, Israel’s advocate general declined to press charges against anyone for the deaths, saying there was “no reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct”.
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general → decline → misconduct
Mendel has given interviews to the ABC and the Guardian saying he did not regret the attacks.
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he → give → attacks
He told the Guardian he was following IDF protocol, and the humanitarians were marked as targets under an Israeli military practice of establishing guilt by association.
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humanitarians → tell → association
Mendel was referring to a general policy of haflala, “incrimination”, which gives commanders in the field wide discretion in designating a person a “terrorist”, including those “incriminated” by association.
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which → refer → association
Mendel told the Guardian that while he didn’t plan to kill aid workers, those killed “were not innocent because they were connected to Hamas”.
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they → tell → Hamas
He did not support this assertion with any evidence.
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He → support → evidence
Investigations by the IDF itself and the former head of the Australian military have found no suggestion of any connection between Hamas and World Central Kitchen.
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Investigations → find → Hamas
Mendel said he fought in the war in Gaza “to defeat Hamas”, and dismissed the seriousness of the killing of seven humanitarians.
“If such an event came before me again, I would do exactly the same thing,” he told the Guardian.
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he → say → Guardian
“I think it’s an idiotic side event.
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it → think → ?
Wong, asked about earlier comments from Mendel that he was unapologetic over the strikes, said his statements were extremely distressing for Frankcom’s family.
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statements → ask → family
“I thought those comments were disgraceful, utterly disgraceful,” she told the ABC.
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she → think → ABC
“I don’t even want to go into some of the detail of them because I don’t want to give them any credence.”
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I → want → credence
Wong said the Australian government was dissatisfied with Israel’s decision not to lay criminal charges against those responsible, and would continue to “press for justice”.
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government → say → justice
“We do want to see full accountability for the deaths of Zomi Frankcom and her colleagues.
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We → want → Frankcom
They were humanitarian workers working to deliver aid and they are protected under the Geneva conventions.”
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they → work → conventions
Restaurateur Andrés, whose charity has provided more than 600m meals to people affected by natural disasters, climate emergencies and conflict around the world, said the deaths of humanitarian workers who were just trying to feed hungry people was inexcusable.
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who → provide → people
“From the start, we have demanded truth, truth and justice for our friends and their families.
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we → demand → friends
We want an independent investigation with all the video and audio released in public so the world can know the truth, because we continue to grieve for our friends.
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we → want → friends
We will never forget them or stop fighting for them.”
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We → forget → them
Frankcom’s family issued a statement following Israel’s decision not to lay criminal charges, saying they were “deeply disappointed” by the decision.
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they → issue → decision
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
