New Delhi: An Australian woman of Indian descent was killed when an Israeli airstrike hit the convoy she was travelling in. Lalzawmi Frankcom (43), the deceased woman, was one of the six international aid workers with the World Central Kitchen, which has been providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that Israeli forces carried out the strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza, including Frankcom.
“Unfortunately over the last day there was a tragic incident of an unintended strike of our forces on innocent people in the Gaza Strip,” he said in a statement, according to The Indian Express, on Tuesday. He said that officials “will do everything for this not to happen again”.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese demanded full accountability from the Israeli government. “This is someone who was volunteering overseas to provide aid through this charity for people who are suffering tremendous deprivation in Gaza. And this is just completely unacceptable,” he said.
Frankcom’s father is an Australian while her mother hails from Mizoram in India.
One of Frankcom’s cousins said, according to PTI, “We are heartbroken because we were so proud of her and the remarkable work she was doing worldwide. The last time she visited Mizoram, she expressed her deep passion for helping others and travelling around the world.”
Israel’s attack on the aid workers has received international condemnation.
Note: An earlier version of this article also included a March 5 incident, which has been removed.
