Can the Israeli military be trusted to investigate itself? Evidence shows genuine accountability is rare

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says it’s an “ outrage ” the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have decided not to open a criminal investigation into the Israeli strikes that killed an Australian aid worker, Zomi Frankcom, and six of her colleagues in Gaza in April 2024.

He added: It falls far short of the accountability that we expect and consistently called for on behalf of Australia.

International law is clear : states are obligated to investigate alleged war crimes committed by their nationals or armed forces, or on their territory.

And, if it’s appropriate, they are obligated to prosecute the suspects.

To this end, military and civilian leaders must report suspected breaches of the law up the chain of command to ensure prompt, independent and impartial investigations are carried out.

On Wednesday, the IDF published the findings of an internal investigation into five incidents in Gaza since the war began in October 2023.

Two incidents were deemed to raise “reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct”.

The IDF ordered the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division, the primary investigative unit within the IDF, to open criminal probes into them.

They are: The killing of Hind Rajab, January 2024: The IDF acknowledged that soldiers opened fire on a vehicle carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab and her family as they fled Gaza City.

In addition, the IDF said “a shell was fired toward” an ambulance trying to reach the car, killing two paramedics.

The car in which 5-year-old Hind Rajab and five members of her family died in Gaza in January 2024.

Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu via Getty Images The killings of Palestinian rescue workers, March 2025: The review also referred the killings of 15 Palestinians in southern Gaza – some of whom it recognised as paramedics and medical personnel – to criminal investigators.

It said Israeli troops fired on three vehicles, which were later identified as ambulances, a fire truck and a UN vehicle.

Forensic Architecture, a research group at the University of London, alleges the military tried to cover up the killings by crushing and burying the medics’ vehicles.