The celebrity chef and founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK) has claimed Israel’s military “systematically” targeted his seven aid workers, including an Australian, killed in Gaza.
Melbourne-born Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom, was among the charity’s workers killed in Central Gaza by an Israeli air strike this week.
Their Palestinian driver was also killed.
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The non-profit WCK said it had coordinated movements of its workers with the Israel Defence Forces but their convoy was hit as it was leaving a warehouse.
WCK chief Jose Andres told the Reuters news agency the attack had targeted the victims “systematically, car by car”.
The deadly strike was not a “bad luck situation where, ‘oops,’ we dropped the bomb in the wrong place,” said Andres.
“Even if we were not in coordination with the (Israel Defence Forces), no democratic country and no military can be targeting civilians and humanitarians.”
A preliminary investigation by the Israeli military said the airstrike was due to a “misidentification”.
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The family of Frankcom told The Sydney Morning Herald they backed an investigation into whether the Israeli troops responsible for her death should be charged with war crimes.
The other aid workers killed included three British citizens, a Polish citizen, and a Canadian-American dual citizen.
Their bodies were transported out of the Gaza Strip and into Egypt on Wednesday ahead of their repatriation, Egypt’s state-run Qahera TV reported.
