Oxfam Australia welcomes the Australian Government’s strong response to the state of Israel’s decision to close its investigation into the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and her World Central Kitchen colleagues. Aid workers must be protected, and when they are killed, there must be a credible, independent process to establish accountability.
Oxfam Australia Chief Executive Jennifer Tierney said accountability for the killing of Zomi Frankcom and her colleagues is essential, and that humanitarian workers must be protected under international law.
“Zomi Frankcom was killed while doing what humanitarian workers do every day: delivering lifesaving assistance to Palestinians facing unimaginable suffering. Her death is a devastating reminder of the risks humanitarian workers are taking to reach people in desperate need.
“But Zomi and her colleagues are not the only people paying the price. The killing of humanitarian workers is happening amid a much larger humanitarian catastrophe, with tens of thousands of Palestinians killed or injured and millions facing hunger, displacement and the destruction of essential services.
“The decision not to pursue criminal proceedings, despite acknowledged failures in procedures, identification and decision-making, raises profound concerns about accountability and the protection of humanitarian workers.
“Humanitarian workers cannot be treated as acceptable casualties of war. International humanitarian law exists to protect civilians, aid workers and the delivery of lifesaving assistance — and those protections must mean something in practice.
“The Australian Government is right to demand accountability for Zomi and her colleagues. We urge Australia to continue pressing for a credible and independent process that can deliver answers and justice for Zomi’s family, while using its influence to push for the protection of Palestinians and humanitarian workers in Gaza.
“The killing of humanitarian workers must never become normalised. Every aid worker killed is also a reminder of the devastating human cost of this conflict and the urgent need to protect Palestinian lives.”
