The Greens in Australia have criticized inflammatory remarks made by a former Israeli military officer, Nochi Mendel, who was responsible for ordering an attack that killed Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and five of her colleagues in 2024. The Greens accused the Albanese government of weakness for not halting military exports or imposing new sanctions in response. The aid workers were delivering food to Gaza when the attack occurred, and Mendel claimed he would "do exactly the same thing" again, calling the victims "not innocent." The comments from Mendel, a former reserve colonel in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), have been widely condemned. Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong called them "utterly disgraceful," while José Andrés, founder of the humanitarian group World Central Kitchen (WCK), described them as an "outrageous smear." Mendel, who was then the chief of staff of the Nahal brigade, ordered drone strikes on a WCK convoy delivering food to Gaza on April 1, 2024. Three vehicles were attacked in quick succession, with survivors fleeing to the remaining cars for safety. An IDF investigation later labeled the attack a "grave mistake," citing specific errors by officers, including Mendel, who was removed from his position. Mendel claimed the aid workers were targeted under an Israeli military policy known as "haflala," or "incrimination," which allows commanders to label individuals as "terrorists" based on association. He argued that the aid workers were connected to Hamas, though no evidence was provided to support this claim. Both the IDF and the former head of the Australian military found no evidence linking WCK to Hamas. Despite this, Israel's advocate general decided not to press criminal charges, stating there was "no reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct." Zomi Frankcom’s family expressed deep disappointment with Israel’s decision not to pursue charges. They called for transparency and an independent judicial review of the incident, which they described as a violation of international humanitarian law. Greens defense spokesperson David Shoebridge criticized the government for its inaction, calling for immediate halts to military sales, including parts for the F-35 fighter jet, and for holding members of Israel’s government accountable. He emphasized that the focus should be on the government’s actions rather than its personal feelings. Meanwhile, Andrés reiterated that WCK is a humanitarian organization committed to the universal right to food, and he called for truth, justice, and an independent investigation into the tragedy.