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Key Points
- A group of medics and rescue workers in Gaza were killed by Israel Defense Forces soldiers in March.
- Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called for a “thorough” investigation.
- Wong called for pledges to protect aid workers in combat zones at the United Nations last year.
The video has cast doubt over the Israeli military’s initial account of the killings, that the vehicles were approaching without coordination or headlights.
When pressed on the independence of such an inquiry, Wong said: “We’ll make an assessment of that when we see what [Israel’s] Military Advocate General comes forward with.”
“All claims, including the documentation circulating about the incident, will be thoroughly and deeply examined to understand the sequence of events and the handling of the situation,” it said.
Israeli officials have said the soldiers had killed members of the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad groups.
Protecting humanitarian personnel
Wong used a September summit at the United Nations to call for new pledges to protect aid workers in combat zones.

Australian woman Zomi Frankcom was an aid worker with the World Central Kitchen organisation. Source: Supplied / X
While at the UN General Assembly in New York, Wong met with ministerial counterparts in the hope that other countries would eventually sign up to the Australian-led declaration.
“I want this initiative to connect principles to action. Australians are very practical. We want to make a practical difference to the safety and security of workers,” she said.
Labor backlash
Mariam Tomahy, a member of Teachers and School Staff for Palestine, said Wong’s calls for an investigation were too little, too late, given the earlier silence from the government about the killing, which happened in March.

Teachers and School Staff for Palestine member Mariam Tohamy speaks to the media during a press conference prior to an anti-racism rally in Sydney on Sunday. Source: AAP / Bianca De Marchi
“It’s a very slow response and we expect a lot more from our government,” she said.
Additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press