Dozens of demonstrators assembled outside the Israeli Embassy in Canberra on Tuesday to demand the immediate expulsion of Israel's ambassador following the Israeli military's decision not to press criminal charges against personnel involved in the fatal strikes on World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza.
The protest focused on the death of Australian humanitarian worker Zomi Frankcom, 43, who was killed alongside six colleagues on April 1, 2024, when Israeli drone strikes hit three clearly marked vehicles in a humanitarian convoy traveling through central Gaza.
Demonstration at Embassy Grounds and Political Reactions
According to reports from SBS News, protesters chanted anti-war slogans, held photographs of Palestinian victims, and temporarily blocked the main entrance to the diplomatic compound before police intervened to clear the driveway. Frankcom's friend Karuna Bajracharya attended the rally and publicly condemned recent remarks made by Colonel Nochi Mendel, the Israeli officer who authorized the fatal strikes. In an interview published last week, Mendel defended his operational decisions, stating that he was not sorry for his actions, a statement Bajracharya characterized as deeply offensive.
Australian political figures also addressed the gathering and raised questions regarding the federal government's diplomatic response. Australian Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi criticized the current administration for failing to impose formal sanctions on Israel, arguing that punitive measures should have been enacted much earlier to enforce international accountability.
Official Government Response to Legal Decisions
The protest follows renewed criticism from Australian leadership regarding Israel's internal judicial review of the incident. Foreign Minister Penny Wong previously expressed outrage after Israeli military prosecutors decided against initiating criminal proceedings against the commanders responsible for the drone strikes.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese similarly stated that Israel's legal response failed to meet the standards of transparency and accountability expected by the Australian government, noting that Australia would continue to press for justice regarding the death of Frankcom and her international colleagues.
