An Australian government inquiry into the tragic World Central Kitchen incident on April 1 has found that Israel's investigation and response have been professional, accurate and consistent with what every Western military would have done.
After they airstrike on the WCK convoy that killed seven humanitarian workers, including Australian Zomi Frankcom, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected Israel's initial statements that it was a tragic accident of the type that happens in wartime, saying "We need to have accountability for how it's occurred. And what isn't good enough is the statements that have been made, including that this is 'just a product of war'. "
A day later, Israel released the results of its investigation, which concluded:
The investigation’s findings indicate that the incident should not have occurred. Those who approved the strike were convinced that they were targeting armed Hamas operatives and not WCK employees. The strike on the aid vehicles is a grave mistake stemming from a serious failure due to a mistaken identification, errors in decision-making, and an attack contrary to the Standard Operating Procedures.
That was not good enough for Australia's leaders, and they wanted to ensure that Israel wasn't trying to hide anything.
Binskin’s status also makes it harder for the IDF to deflect his requests for information than it might be if the government had appointed a civilian expert in human rights or even military law instead. Binskin will doubtless have legal support available to him. But in these circumstances, the uniform talks – even if he doesn’t still wear it.His job is to underscore Australia’s demands for transparency, accountability, rigour and reform of the IDF’s targeting processes and, in asking pointed questions and pressing for answers, to ensure they are delivered.
Now, Binskin's report has been delivered, and as The Australian reports, it finds Israel's investigation to be thorough, professional and accurate.
Former defence chief Mark Binskin’s report on the Israeli drone strikes that killed Australian Zomi Frankcom and six of her colleagues is set to largely back the Jewish state’s official response to the tragedy, drawing a line under Anthony Albanese’s demands for “full accountability” over the deaths.The Australian understands the government’s special adviser on the incident accepted Israel’s findings that the attack on the World Central Kitchen convoy in Gaza on April 1 was the result of a serious failure in its targeting procedures.According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, Air Chief Marshal Binskin was satisfied that, although mistakes were made, the Israeli Defence Forces had safeguards to avoid civilian casualties that were in line with those of Western counterparts including Australia.Air Chief Marshal Binskin was pleased with the level of co-operation he received during an eight-day fact-finding visit to Israel in May, according to a senior official in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.“He has had a good level of access to very senior people within Israel,” deputy secretary Craig MacLachlan told Senate estimates. “At no point has Mr Binskin said to me that he has felt he has been short on information or detail.”
Normal investigations into the many incidents of Western armies inadvertently killing innocent civilians, when they occur at all, usually takes months or years.
Israel investigated and wrote up its report in four days.
Yet even under that immense pressure, during wartime, the world demanded instant answers - far more than any other Western nation has ever done. And now the former Australian defence chief, who was previously in its air force and understands how split second decisions are made in wartime, finds that Israel not only mounted a professional and credible investigation, but that it did it in a timeframe that is literally unheard of from any other nation.
This is a pattern - pretty much every international military expert who speaks to the IDF finds invariably that they are professional and follow international law, and perhaps most importantly they learn from their mistakes and incorporate the lessons into their own procedures at a speed that no other army on Earth has ever done.
(h/t Ian)
