Australia condemns former Israeli occupation commander’s remarks on the bombing of the (Global Central Kitchen) convoy

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 1 (KUNA) -- Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Tuesday condemned the statements of Nuchie Mendel, a former officer in the Israeli occupation forces, in which he defended his decision to carry out a drone strike on a convoy belonging to the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in the Gaza Strip in 2024, an attack that resulted in the deaths of seven aid workers, including Australian Zomi Frankum. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC News) quoted Wong as describing the Israeli colonel’s remarks as “completely shameful and painful.” She affirmed that the Australian government would continue to demand full accountability and justice for the killing of Frankum and her colleagues, noting that the victims were humanitarian workers carrying out a mission to deliver aid to civilians, and that international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions provide protection for personnel in this field. Wong’s stance came in response to an ABC News interview with former colonel Mendel, who previously served as chief of staff for the Nahal Infantry Brigade in the Israeli occupation army, in which he stated he felt no remorse for his decision to carry out the strike. The Australian government had previously rejected the findings of the Israeli military investigation, which attributed the incident to a mistake in identifying the convoy. In this regard, Minister Wong stated that she did not trust the Israeli army’s internal investigation to provide the level of accountability demanded by Australia. The World Central Kitchen is a non-profit, non-governmental civil charity based in the United States, working to distribute food and food aid to disaster-affected populations around the world. (End) E.A.B. / N.A.A.