Australia warns aid workers under threat in Lebanon after new Israeli attack, two years on from Zomi Frankcom’s death
Aid workers could be under threat following Israel’s unprecedented assault on Lebanon, just two years after Australian Zomi Frankcom was killed in a Gaza airstrike, humanitarian organizations have warned.
Israel hit more than 100 targets on its northern border on Wednesday despite a two-week joint ceasefire aimed at ending hostilities.
Lebanon Civil Defense said at least 254 people were killed and 1,165 injured in the attack. Israel claimed that Israel’s attempt to disband Iran-backed Hezbollah was outside the ceasefire.
Since Hezbollah entered the war on the side of Iran, Israeli forces have occupied large parts of southern Lebanon and launched airstrikes, including on the capital Beirut.
More than 1,500 people have been killed and more than a million people have been internally displaced in Lebanon since the conflict began.
The escalation comes a week after Israel’s ambassador to Australia was pressured over the murder of World Central Kitchen aid worker Zomi Frankcom.
Australian Ms. Frankcom was killed in an Israeli air strike while distributing aid to Gaza in April 2024.
Despite investigations by Australia and Israel, no one has been charged with his death.
Andrew Witheford, Amnesty International’s Australian Strategic Campaigner, warned that Israel’s new hostilities in Lebanon, which come amid a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, are “more of the same”.
He accused Israel of “not sufficiently respecting international humanitarian law.”
“Despite the Israeli military’s objections on this matter, it is quite clear that the targeting (in Gaza) was at least indiscriminate, if not worse,” Mr. Witheford said.
“This is happening again in terms of the way things are being done in Lebanon and these are actually unacceptable.
“This is not just a loss that civilians are paying for, it is also a serious loss for healthcare workers, journalists and other civilians who play an important role in alleviating human suffering in the conflict, and they are also being targeted.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong led a joint statement on Wednesday night calling for the protection of aid workers in Lebanon.
It was jointly signed by Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom.
Speaking at Parliament House on Thursday morning, Senator Wong recalled the killing of Ms Frankcom and the subsequent Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, which aims to limit the effects of armed conflict.
“It is very important that the international community, even in times of conflict, continues to defend the rules that the countries of the world accept as valid for war, and this means that humanitarian personnel, aid workers, medics who go to conflict zones, risking their own lives, must be protected,” he said.
Australian Council for International Development CEO Matthew Maury said he was “encouraged” by Senator Wong’s leadership.
“ACFID maintained its long-standing position that the protection of aid workers is not optional but is a binding obligation under international humanitarian law,” he said.
“We reiterate the Foreign Minister’s statement this morning that accountability is essential in cases where these obligations are violated, including in Lebanon and wherever conflict occurs.”
Mr. Maury warned that as violence escalates, the ability of aid agencies to reach people in Lebanon becomes even more critical.
“When aid workers are attacked, hindered or forced to halt operations, civilians ultimately pay the price,” he said.
“Ensuring timely information sharing to protect humanitarian personnel and reduce risk is essential to maintaining humanitarian access.”
