00:01The response from Canberra has been swift this morning.
00:06The Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, has issued a statement where she says, Australia is outraged
00:12the Israeli government has decided not to pursue criminal proceedings against those
00:17responsible for killing Zomi Frankem and her World Central Kitchen colleagues.
00:22This decision falls far short of the accountability we expect.
00:27Now, Senator Wong has called in Israeli Ambassador Hillel Newman for a meeting this morning in
00:34Canberra to discuss this issue.
00:37This is a form of diplomatic protest, essentially calling in an ambassador for a meeting.
00:42And she says she's also instructed Australia's ambassador to Israel to directly convey the
00:49government's disappointment and views on this issue to the Israeli government.
00:54Here's more of some of the reaction that we've heard today in Canberra.
00:59I think the Foreign Affairs Minister has made clear her position and calling in the Israeli
01:05ambassador to explain why there will be no further action taken, because I think we're
01:10all really concerned that nothing more is going to be done about this.
01:14Zomi Frankem never should have been killed. It's a tragedy that she was, and it is incredibly
01:20concerning to hear this news out of Israel. I look forward to receiving a full briefing
01:25to understand why this decision was made and the nature of the decision.
01:31That was the Shadow Defence Minister James Patterson off the back there expressing concern over this
01:38decision in Israel to clear the soldiers involved in this April 2024 strike.
01:43We've also heard from the Greens leader Larissa Waters this morning, who says sending the Israeli
01:49ambassador to Australia back home should be on the table. Now, the Foreign Minister, Penny Wong,
01:55has suggested that the Australian government is considering further steps. She hasn't yet elaborated
02:00on what those potential steps could be. We understand the minister is due to meet with the Israeli
02:06ambassador in the coming hours, and we'll bring you more updates once that meeting occurs.
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