Israeli embassy responds to report into drone strike on World Central Kitchen workers
Daniel Hurst
The Israeli embassy in Canberra has taken issue with aspects of how the Australian government characterised a report on the killing of the Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six of her colleagues in Gaza.
A report by the former Australian defence force chief Mark Binskin – released on Friday – found “a significant breakdown in situational awareness” by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) when the World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid convoy was hit by Israeli drone strikes on 1 April.
In a statement issued moments ago, the Israeli embassy said the Israeli government “takes with utmost seriousness the grave incident” and use this moment to again extend our deepest condolences to the Frankcom family, as well as to the families of the other six aid workers”. The statement added:
The Australian government’s statement about the report regrettably included some misrepresentations and omitted crucial details with respect to the manner in which the report was conducted, the degree of cooperation and openness exhibited by the IDF, and even with respect to certain aspects of the tragic incident itself.
The report explicitly reaffirms that the IDF is a professional and disciplined army, with similar legal views, standards and controls in place to mitigate the risks of war, like the ADF. The report also confirms that “the IDF strike on the WCK aid workers was not knowingly or deliberately directed against the WCK,” and that “It is likely that the presence of armed locally-contracted security on the WCK aid convoy, not notified or approved in the detailed WCK-CLA coordination process, which gave the appearance of the presence of Hamas.” It cannot be ruled out “that WCK inadvertently contracted security for the aid convoy with an entity that had links to Hamas.”
More details soon.
Key events
Andrew Messenger
Cheap fares kick in across Queensland
The first morning of Queensland’s nation-first trial of 50-cent bus and train fares appears to have gone off without a hitch.
As we flagged earlier, the premier, Steven Miles, told media this morning they have not been overwhelmed by new commuters or been forced to deploy reserve buses.
He said it’s been “a little busier than usual on some lines”.
The state hopes service demand will increase to pre-Covid levels as a result of the $150m spend.
Here are the Australian athletes to watch out for today, as we enter day 10 of the Paris Olympics:
Opposition criticises government aviation inaction
Elias Visontay
The opposition has criticised the Albanese government for only attempting to address anti-competitive behaviour from major airlines after Rex and Bonza’s operations competing with Qantas and Virgin collapsed.
Today, the transport minister, Catherine King – less than a week after Rex entered administration and ended its jet operations between major cities – released a competitive tender for the Sydney Airport Slot Manager.
King said the move addresses concerns that the current system – where a company majority owned by Qantas and Virgin administers the scarce, lucrative access to Sydney Airport – has fostered a duopoly in the industry and higher air fares for travellers.
These concerns have included allegations levelled by Rex, Bonza, airport chiefs and the competition watchdog, including its former chair Rod Sims, that Qantas group, its budget carrier Jetstar, and Virgin, have been scheduling more flights than they intend to operate and strategically cancelling them to block new entrants from launching rival services.
The tender news follows King’s announcement of an audit program of Sydney airport slots in February which has so far provided no apparent results. This has led industry observers to be pessimistic that the government’s much-anticipated aviation white paper, due imminently, will bring about any real change to boost competition.
Responding to King’s announcement, the opposition transport spokesperson, Bridget McKenzie, said the government “has allowed two airlines to collapse before finally acting to address anti-competitive behaviour”, but said without strengthening rules that allow the strategic cancellation of flights, the measures wouldn’t reduce Qantas and Virgin’s “stranglehold”.
It will now be many months before a tender system is completed and sadly too late for the hundreds of airline workers who have lost their jobs in the meantime.
You can read more about Rex’s turmoil and competition in the aviation industry here:
Natasha May
More on the health star rating commitment
Dr Alexandra Jones, the program lead for food governance at The George Institute and senior lecturer in the faculty of medicine at UNSW, said:
The slow and selective adoption of the Health Star Rating system by food manufacturers has steadily eroded its value. There is nothing in their performance to date to suggest industry can reach the 70% target by the end of 2025.
Food for Health Alliance executive manager, Jane Martin, said three in four Australians want the government to mandate health stars being displayed on all packaged food and drinks, according to their research.
This commitment by Ged Kearney and food ministers to mandate the system is an important step to empower consumers to make more informed decisions for their health.
Natasha May
Public health groups welcome health star rating commitment
Public health groups have welcomed Australia’s food ministers’ commitment to make health star ratings mandatory if the food industry continues to fail to meet voluntary targets.
Health promotion foundation VicHealth, Food for Health Alliance and The George Institute for Global Health have released a statement this morning applauding the decision that food regulators will make the rating compulsory if the industry fails to reach 70% uptake by November next year.
Public health experts say it comes after a decade of inaction by the food industry unwilling to implement the front of package label which would help consumers cut through the marketing spin which can convince Australian shoppers that food lacking nutrition is healthy.
When the ratings were introduced in 2019, 40% of intended foods carried a rating but that percentage has gone backwards with only 32% of products carry a rating as at May this year according to the ministers.
The percentage is also far below the targets set by the industry which was to achieve half of all products carrying the rating by the end of 2023 and is almost half of the 60% target for the end of 2024. VicHealth CEO, Dr Sandro Demaio, said:
Major food companies have had 10 years to comply with their own voluntary targets and have failed dismally. We welcome moves by food ministers to prioritise thef health and wellbeing of Australian consumers and make industry accountable.
The Health Star Rating system is designed to help Australians cut through marketing spin to make healthier choices for themselves and their families. But the system can’t effectively inform consumers unless it’s mandatory across all product categories.
Dozens of suspected engineered stone samples seized following ban
WorkSafe Victoria says it has seized more than 65 samples of suspected engineered stone in the past month, after a ban came into place this year.
Australia became the first country to announce a complete ban on engineered stone last year. This followed a years-long campaign – driven by doctors, trade unions and workers – as silicosis cases rose among those involved in its cutting and handling.
Silicosis is a debilitating and potentially fatal disease that has affected more than 680 Victorian workers since 2018, including 20 fatalities.
WorkSafe said its dedicated silica field team visited 52 industry sites in the past month, issuing 25 compliance notices and seizing more than 65 samples of suspected engineered stone.
Executive director of health and safety, Sam Jenkin, said most businesses are doing the right thing and moving away from engineered stone, but “unfortunately we have found a small number have continued to put workers at risk.”
Manager of earth resources and silica, Ben Wright, said his team had already referred two duty holders for investigation for suspected supply and processing of engineered stone products after 1 July.
Daniel Hurst
Some context for the Israeli embassy response …
Further to our last post, let’s bring some more context.
The former Australian defence force chief Mark Binskin – in his report released on Friday – found IDF controls failed, “leading to errors in decision making and a misidentification, likely compounded by a level of confirmation bias”. But Binskin said he did not believe the strikes were “knowingly or deliberately directed against” the World Central Kitchen.
When Penny Wong released the report on Friday, the foreign affairs minister told reporters in Adelaide:
I want to start by saying the deaths of Ms Frankcom and her colleagues were inexcusable. We condemn the Israeli strikes that caused them.
Zomi Frankcom and her colleagues from World Central Kitchen were killed in an intentional strike by the IDF. It is clear that these deaths were a consequence of a failure of IDF controls, errors in decision-making and misidentification, a failure to comply with senior command direction and a violation of IDF procedures and rules of engagement. As the IDF itself has said, this incident should not have occurred and was a grave mistake.
The Israeli embassy statement today insists that the IDF fully engaged with Binskin “in order to contribute to the Australian peoples understanding on how this incident occurred and how it has been investigated”.
The statement said Israel would “continue to work hand in hand with the international community to coordinate and assist the activity of aid organizations”. The statement is silent on the call for an apology.
Israeli embassy responds to report into drone strike on World Central Kitchen workers
Daniel Hurst
The Israeli embassy in Canberra has taken issue with aspects of how the Australian government characterised a report on the killing of the Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six of her colleagues in Gaza.
A report by the former Australian defence force chief Mark Binskin – released on Friday – found “a significant breakdown in situational awareness” by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) when the World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid convoy was hit by Israeli drone strikes on 1 April.
In a statement issued moments ago, the Israeli embassy said the Israeli government “takes with utmost seriousness the grave incident” and use this moment to again extend our deepest condolences to the Frankcom family, as well as to the families of the other six aid workers”. The statement added:
The Australian government’s statement about the report regrettably included some misrepresentations and omitted crucial details with respect to the manner in which the report was conducted, the degree of cooperation and openness exhibited by the IDF, and even with respect to certain aspects of the tragic incident itself.
The report explicitly reaffirms that the IDF is a professional and disciplined army, with similar legal views, standards and controls in place to mitigate the risks of war, like the ADF. The report also confirms that “the IDF strike on the WCK aid workers was not knowingly or deliberately directed against the WCK,” and that “It is likely that the presence of armed locally-contracted security on the WCK aid convoy, not notified or approved in the detailed WCK-CLA coordination process, which gave the appearance of the presence of Hamas.” It cannot be ruled out “that WCK inadvertently contracted security for the aid convoy with an entity that had links to Hamas.”
More details soon.
Man allegedly caught drinking wine at wheel of car over quadruple the legal limit
Victorian police said a man can expect to face court after allegedly being caught driving with one hand on the wheel, and the other tipping back a bottle of wine.
According to a statement, the driver was caught at more than quadruple the legal alcohol limit on Sunday.
Highway Patrol officers were patrolling the Mitcham area when a Toyota Yaris drove past them about 12pm, police said:
Officers were stunned to watch the 24-year-old man [allegedly] driving with one hand on the steering wheel and the other tipping back a bottle of wine.
The Ashburton man was intercepted nearby on Cochrane Street where he underwent a breath test, returning an alleged reading of .234.
Police said his vehicle was impounded and his licence immediately suspended. He can also expect to face court on drink driving charges, police added.
Environmental groups welcome EPA’s rejection of Woodside’s proposed Browse Gas project
Leading environmental groups have welcomed the Western Australian environment protection authority’s (EPA) rejection of fossil fuel giant Woodside’s proposed Browse Gas project.
Scott Reef, off the coast of Western Australia, is described as ecologically extraordinary with more than 1,500 species documented across its formations, many unique to the area.
But the ocean around the reef is also prized for what lies beneath it: Australia’s largest untapped conventional gas basin. As Adam Morton reports, Woodside wants to drill into the Browse basin – particularly, its Torosa gas field, where wells are planned within 3km of the reef:
According to the Conservation Council of WA, the EPA rejected Woodside’s proposed project due to a wide range of major concerns about environmental, nature and pollution impacts. Executive director Jess Beckerling said:
This is a major blow for Woodside’s plan to develop the biggest new gas field in Australia. The WA EPA has recognised the unacceptable threat posed by Browse to the magnificent Scott Reef and the marine life off the Kimberley coast…
The EPA has now said what we knew all along – the Browse project would be devastating for WA’s environment, and no government should let it proceed … It is now incumbent on the WA and federal governments to respect this independent scientific advice and expert opinion, and refuse Woodside’s application to develop Browse.
‘We have better options than that’: Miles on using Brisbane River for Olympic triathlon
The Queensland premier, Steven Miles, has said a triathlon in the Brisbane River, as part of the 2032 Olympics, is not likely to happen.
Speaking on Sunrise this morning, Miles said:
I think we have better options than that. The Brisbane River will be a majestic backdrop for many of the events.
Last week, the Brisbane lord mayor, Adrian Schrinner, said the river should play a role in the Olympics celebrations, but was reluctant to copy what Paris has done with the famous Seine – saying that its width could pose a challenge.
Miles also said that the Paris Olympics had “broken” the “old model of needing to have an oval stadium for athletes to come in and out of”, touting the existing Suncorp Stadium:
We got an opportunity to use what is already an iconic Stadium in Suncorp Stadium. Let’s not forget we’re building a new arena at Roma Street. That will be a fantastic venue. That’s where the swimming is held … A lot of people are saying we’re doing this on the cheap, we aren’t. It’s a big endeavour.
Four charged over another huge methamphetamine haul
A bid to import $283m worth of methamphetamine into Australia has been thwarted with four Melbourne men charged over their alleged involvement, AAP reports.
Australian federal police officers charged the group after 306kg of the drug were located concealed in a six-tonne hydraulic press.
Australian Border Force officers found the drugs in June during a search of a consignment sent from the United States.
AFP commander, Raegan Stewart, is expected to share more detail on the bust this morning. It follows a near $1bn methamphetamine shipment seized from two large machines in a shipping container at Sydney’s Port Botany in July.
That shipment was also sourced from the United States before authorities removed the drugs and delivered the machines to a premises at Warwick Farm, in the city’s west, leading to the arrest of two men.
More than 2,000 crypto wallets compromised, AFP says
The Australian federal police says it has identified more than 2,000 compromised crypto wallets belonging to Australians.
As part of a collaboration with a blockchain data platform Chainanalysis to target criminal cryptocurrency scammers worldwide, the AFP targeted those using “approval phishing” – used to steal more than $4bn in crypto globally since May 2021.
As part of the scams, alleged criminals deceive victims into signing a malicious blockchain transaction, and once signed, they can access the victims’ crypto wallet and spend specific tokens.
This method allows the criminal to drain the victim’s wallet of those tokens at will, which is similar to giving someone permission to transfer money from your online bank account, the AFP said.
“Approval phishing” is commonly seen in investment scams, where people are offered high returns on investments, and romance scams.
Electoral commission calls for workers
The Australian Electoral Commission says more than 100,000 paid workers will be needed for the next federal election, set to be held sometime in the next nine months.
In a statement this morning, the electoral commissioner, Tom Rogers, said the AEC becomes “one of the nation’s largest employers ever so briefly”.
You don’t need election experience to work for us, but you do need to be able to take an impartial and neutral approach to your work – that is not negotiable… It can be difficult to find staff in regional and remote areas so we really need people to put up their hands, get involved in their communities and make sure people in their areas can vote.
Each state is appealing for people in specific areas. For NSW this is in Dubbo, Armidale, Inverell, Scone and Tamworth, and in Victoria it is Mallee, the Wimmera, Bendigo, Geelong, the Great South Coast, Sale and Warragul – which have been “have been historically challenging to recruit workers in”.
In Tasmania, the AEC state manager, Hannah Brown, appealed to people to travel and help out, if they’re able:
Even if people don’t live in a particular area where we need workers, we hope they’ll consider travelling a short distance to help us give all Tasmanian communities the opportunity to vote locally.
50c public transport trial kicks off in south-east Queensland today
The Queensland premier, Steven Miles, was on ABC RN Breakfast earlier to discuss the state’s six-month trial of 50c public transport trips in the south-east.
The trial kicks in from today. Miles, speaking from Brisbane Central station, said it was busier than normal but “we’re not seeing any kind of excessive crowding”.
We have an operation centre that’s monitoring very closely that uptake. That’s ultimately why we didn’t make it free, why we kept it at 50 cents so that people still need to tap on and top off. That means we can monitor usage across the network in real-time…
Of course if people don’t use it then it will be hard to justify and so I’m saying to everyone that if you want to keep almost-free public transport, you need to use it – you need the get on the train, the bus, the ferries, and if you do we’ll be able to keep it.
PMs comments on Makarrata taken further than what it was intended, McCarthy says
Pressed on whether or not the prime minister misspoke with his comments regarding a Makarrata commission, Malarndirri McCarthy said:
I’m saying that the interpretation of what the prime minister said has been taken completely further than what it was meant to. The prime minister was very genuine in his return to the Yolngu people. He was given a sacred totem, which is not to be smeared at, not to be laughed at, and not to be disrespected. The Yolngu people were very strong about the fact that he was strong as a prime minister to take the voice to the people of Australia. It did not work, it failed, and the prime minister still returned to the very people who were deeply disappointed and shattered…
I’m not sure how many times I can say that the principles of the Uluru statement from the heart are very much supported by our government.
Indigenous Australians minister says First Nations people ‘need time’ after voice defeat
The new minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, spoke with ABC News Breakfast just earlier following fears the government may ditch its promise to establish a makarrata commission.
Karen Middleton brought us all the details earlier in the blog here.
McCarthy said she had been reading the papers, but when she was in Arnhem Land beside the prime minister “that’s clearly not what I heard”.
He certainly gave very strong principle support for the Uluru statement from the heart. He’s maintained that in terms of the voice, having taken the referendum to the people last year, and the values around makarrata, treaty and truth-telling are still very strong for our government.
Asked about the comments from Pat Anderson, McCarthy said she has seen the word “confusion” in headlines and can understand there would be confusion, because “the question is purely around one element”.
I would caution everyone to just calm down, that this has been a significant weekend at Garma. We are not moving away from our commitment to the Uluru statement from the heart in terms of our love and our support for all of those who gathered there in 2017. What I would say to all Australians is that First Nations people need time.
This was clearly a soul-shattering event, as was said to us in Garma on the weekend. People are still recovering from that. I know in my new role as the minister for Indigenous Australians, I now have to make sure I canvas right across the country where other First Nations people are at.
