Albanese wanted 'full accountability' from Israel. Instead, Australia is 'outraged'

Israel's decision not to pursue criminal proceedings over the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom has sparked "outrage" from the federal government, signalling a new low for relations between the two countries.

The decision comes after almost three years of increasingly strained ties, with Australia moving from backing Israel after the October 7 attacks to i mposing sanctions on Israeli government ministers and recognising a Palestinian state.

Despite previously conceding there had been "serious failures", the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday announced it would not prosecute those responsible for the death of Frankcom and six of her World Central Kitchen colleagues in an IDF strike in Gaza in April 2024.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the decision "falls far short of the accountability we expect" in some of her most critical comments against Israel since the Gaza war began.

Asked about Australia's relationship with Israel, Wong said it was facing a "difficult time".

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She said the federal government only became aware of the decision moments before it was publicly announced, and it was "especially insulting" to Frankcom's family that it came on World Humanitarian Day, a point echoed by Zomi's brother Mal in a statement.

The Greens called for the Israeli ambassador, Hillel Newman, who was summoned by the government for an explanation on Thursday, to be expelled.

Opposition defence spokesperson James Paterson said the news was "incredibly concerning", but he needed to receive a full briefing before making further comment.

Frankcom and her colleagues were travelling in a marked aid convoy in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, when they were hit by three Israeli drone strikes on 1 April 2024.

The Israeli military initially said the convoy had been mistaken for a group of Hamas fighters before later acknowledging the vehicles had been misidentified and there had been serious failures in the decision-making leading to the attack.

Australia and Israel have historically enjoyed warm relations, with Australia supporting Israel at international forums such as the United Nations.

The Australian government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade states in a current country briefing on its website that "Australia and Israel share a close relationship with significant people-to-people links and broad commercial engagement."

There have been previous periods of tension, most notably in 2010, when then-prime minister Kevin Rudd expelled an Israeli diplomat after Israel's intelligence agency Mossad was accused of 'misusing' Australian passports for agents involved in the assassination of a senior Hamas operative in Dubai.