Gaza
Australia says ties with Israel strained after Gaza aid worker probe closure
Image credit: Shehab Wire (EN)
TOP News Brief
The Newsdesk gathers reporting from wire services and primary sources and rewrites every story in-house before publication. How our journalism is made →
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong acknowledged Thursday that her country's relationship with Israel faces "difficult times" following Israel's decision to close a criminal investigation into the deaths of aid workers in Gaza, Shehab Wire reported. Among those killed was Australian citizen Zomi F., whose death had prompted scrutiny from Canberra into how the incident was handled.
Wong's public comments marked a rare diplomatic rebuke, underscoring growing friction between the two countries over accountability in the case. The closure of the investigation without charges or findings has drawn criticism from Australia, which had pressed for a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the humanitarian workers operating in the territory.
