The Israel Defence Forces’ report, prepared by a retired general outside the chain of command, found the drone operators assumed only Hamas fighters were in the vehicles, with the aid workers remaining in a warehouse where the convoy stopped.
Armed Hamas terrorists were observed in and around the vehicles at various times, including at the warehouse. Attempts by the IDF and WCK itself to reach the aid workers by phone failed. The drone’s sensors were thermal, not visual, and thus could not “see” the plastic identifying stickers at night.
The IDF investigation concluded that the order to shoot, even if the officers involved were convinced they were targeting only Hamas aid hijackers, not aid workers, failed to meet the threshold required under the IDF’s open-fire regulations.
The IDF therefore dismissed the two top officers involved and censured the general in charge of Israel’s Southern Command and two other senior officers. Just as importantly, the report made recommendations that are already being implemented to prevent any further such tragedy.
The Albanese government’s hasty decision to send Binskin to Israel to independently review the investigation is both insulting to Israel, a democratic ally, and hard to understand.
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The IDF responded far quicker and more transparently than Australia has in similar circumstances. In 2017, for instance, a review of evidence suggesting the ADF mistakenly bombed Iraqi civilians took 18 months. The ADF reported no wrongdoing by its personnel, only tragic mistakes. No one was dismissed or disciplined.
Moreover, none of the other countries that lost citizens in the aid convoy have cast aspersions on the IDF’s integrity, as Australia’s government has now done.
Just six months after Hamas perpetrated the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, our government appears unduly influenced or even intimidated by anti-Israel elements and mobs who constantly push lawmakers toward their own dead-end model of insatiable anti-Israel obsession.
Albanese and Wong should pause and reflect on what actually advances Australia’s national interests, social cohesion and credibility. Continuing down the path being pushed by the extremists will leave the government out of step with our closest allies and with the silent Australian majority, and worst of all, leave Australia out of step with both reality and morality in our foreign policy.
Dr Colin Rubenstein is executive director of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.
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