Add Category
In short:
An Australian who regularly delivers aid to Gaza says changes promised after Zomi Frankcom's death have not been properly implemented.
Tess Ingram described her frustration at a lack of progress and said she had been in trucks full of supplies that could not be delivered.
What's next?
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Albanese government would continue to press for accountability after the killing of Ms Frankcom and other aid workers.
An Australian aid worker who regularly travels to Gaza says it is clear the changes that were promised in the wake of the attack on the World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers have not been put in place effectively.
Tess Ingram was part of a UNICEF mission that came under fire just a week after the deadly incident that killed Australian Zomi Frankcom.
Ms Frankcom was among seven staff at the WCK killed on April 1 while helping to deliver food and other supplies to northern Gaza.
In the days after the attack, the federal government ordered a review into Israel's response to the strikes.
It found there was a "significant breakdown in situational awareness" and the deaths were a result of serious failures to follow IDF procedures.
Ms Ingram said the lack of progress since the attack on the WCK staff had been frustrating and disheartening.
"It's really disappointing because deconfliction works in other conflicts around the world, so there is no reason why it can't work in the Gaza Strip," she said.
"For me, the biggest issue is it affects our ability to do our job at the end of the day, and it's women and children in Gaza who suffer as a result."
"I've sat in the cars on these missions, and I can tell you, it's so frustrating to know that you have a truck full of supplies that you can deliver somewhere and help improve people's situation and reduce their vulnerability to these really terrible circumstances, but we just can't deliver it because of delays, because of danger, because of these restrictions on the ground.
"And so what we really need to see is those barriers lifted so that we can actually make a difference."
While the report into the WCK attack said the strike was "not knowingly or deliberately directed" at the aid workers, it recommended an "appropriate apology" be provided by the Israeli government.
After the release of the report, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Albanese government would continue to press for accountability for the "inexcusable" deaths.
"The Australian government will persist until proper protections for aid workers are in place. The best protection for aid workers — and civilians — is a ceasefire," she said.
The Biskin report said it was likely the WCK convoy's locally-contracted security "gave the appearance of the presence of Hamas".
The Coordination and Liaison Administration for Gaza (CLA), a unit of the Israeli government, had not been notified of the security presence.
"In this incident, it appears that the IDF controls failed, leading to errors in decision-making and a misidentification, likely compounded by a level of confirmation bias," the report said.
Ms Ingram believes there is an urgent need for Israel to better coordinate with humanitarian organisations.
"It's really urgent. We had another incident at UNICEF in Gaza just over a week ago. And you know, these are not isolated incidents.
"The continuation of these dangerous incidents, I think, underscores that those changes are not being put in place effectively enough to ensure safety on the ground."
Ms Ingram said the danger was always on her mind when travelling into Gaza but the humanitarian need outweighed that.
"We are aware that we could be put in harm's way, because we know that this deconfliction system is not functioning properly," she said.
"Gaza is the most dangerous place in the world to be an aid worker, so of course, it weighs on my mind and the minds of my colleagues when we're doing the job, but it is our job, and we're determined to continue to try and do the work."