Australia “omitted crucial details” when presenting a report into the deaths of seven aid workers in Gaza, Israel’s embassy in Canberra has said in a frank diplomatic rebuke, AFP reports.
A declassified Australian report last week blamed the lethal error on operational failures such as the “mistaken identification” of armed security staff as Hamas hijackers.
Israel’s embassy hit back, saying the Australian government “regrettably included some misrepresentations and omitted crucial details”, such as its military’s willingness to cooperate.
“The IDF (military) has taken full responsibility for the grave mistakes that led to the tragic incident of the night of April 1,” the embassy said in a statement.
His declassified report, released Friday, found three vehicles in the aid convoy were “struck in relatively quick succession” after they were tagged as suspicious.