AUSTRALIA – Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used a high-stakes meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog to demand “full accountability, including any appropriate criminal charges” over the 2024 Israeli drone strike that killed Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom . The dramatic scenes marked the third day of escalating nationwide protests against Herzog’s four-day visit, with tensions further inflamed by the Israeli security cabinet’s weekend decision to expand West Bank settlement construction, a move Australia has formally condemned as illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace. As police and political leaders faced mounting scrutiny over Monday’s violent dispersal of Muslim worshippers in Sydney, Frankcom’s brother revealed the family remains in the dark nearly two years after her death, with “missing puzzle pieces” in Israel’s stalled investigation.

Canberra Showdown: Aid Worker’s Death Takes Centre Stage.

The protest outside Parliament House on Wednesday saw demonstrators waving Palestinian flags and displaying placards declaring “Herzog and IDF security not welcome” and “Jews against Herzog.” Among the political figures addressing the rally were ACT Senator David Pocock and Greens leader Larissa Waters, while independent MP Zali Steggall used parliamentary privilege to press Albanese directly on what accountability Australia would seek from Herzog .

Albanese confirmed he had confronted Herzog during their morning meeting about the April 2024 killing of Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom, a 43-year-old Australian who was among seven World Central Kitchen aid workers whose three-vehicle convoy was systematically targeted by Israeli drones in Gaza. The Prime Minister told parliament: “These deaths were a tragedy and an outrage. We said that at the time. We have made it clear that remains the Australian government’s position, and we’ve also made clear our expectation that there be transparency about Israel’s ongoing investigation”.

Significantly, Albanese revealed that Herzog had agreed to “engage and come back to the Australian government about the issues that we have raised”, a commitment the Prime Minister used to defend the decision to invite the Israeli president. “If President Herzog wasn’t here, I wouldn’t have been able to raise the issue of Zomi Frankcom with him,” Albanese told parliament.

But for Frankcom’s family, the meeting represented both hope and frustration. Her brother, Mal Frankcom, revealed to SBS News that the family had written to Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong before the visit, expressing “disappointment” at the invitation given that the case remains unresolved. “There are a few missing pieces of the puzzle,” he said, noting that nearly two years after the strike, Israel’s Military Advocate General’s office has yet to decide whether to pursue criminal prosecution.

Key questions remain unanswered, including the contents of drone audio recordings that were never provided to Australian investigator Mark Binskin. Israeli authorities previously claimed the audio was in Hebrew and “would not be understood,” but Frankcom has been pushing for a translation or transcript. “It’s not that I want it personally, but I just want to be reassured that it’s included in the military advocate general’s investigation, and that it’s done in a thorough and independent manner,” he said.

The broader context of aid worker casualties remains devastating. According to the global aid worker security database, 215 humanitarian workers were killed in the occupied Palestinian territories last year, following 185 in 2024 and 176 in 2023.

Sydney Clashes: Prayer Disruption Sparks Islamophobia Investigation.

While Canberra provided the diplomatic theatre, the physical and political battle lines were drawn three days earlier in Sydney, where Herzog’s arrival on Monday triggered the most intense clashes between police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators since the Gaza war began.

Widely circulated footage showed New South Wales police forcibly removing Muslim worshippers from a prayer line outside Sydney Town Hall, dragging individuals across the pavement as they remained in prostrate positions. The sheikh leading the prayer, Wesam Charkawi, described the scene as “unhinged and aggressive”.

The Australian National Imams Council condemned the police actions as “shocking, deeply disturbing, and entirely unacceptable,” while Australia’s Special Envoy for Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, called for an immediate investigation and urged NSW Premier Chris Minns to issue a public apology to the Muslim community.

Malik was unequivocal in his condemnation: “There was absolutely nothing on the face of the earth that could warrant police breaking up people who were praying in a quiet, non-threatening and peaceful manner, and punching, grabbing and throwing individuals onto the concrete.” He warned that failure to acknowledge wrongdoing would “irreparably damage relations between Muslims and the NSW Police”.

The backlash prompted NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon to issue what he described as an apology for “any offence that may have been taken,” claiming the actions were “required to actually start dispersing the crowd.” However, confusion reigned over who had actually received an apology. While the Australian National Imams Council confirmed Lanyon had contacted its president, Imam Shadi Alsuleiman, the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils and the Lebanese Muslim Association both stated they had received no such communication.

Lebanese Muslim Association spokesperson Hajj Gamel Kheir demanded Lanyon apologise publicly “to the entire Muslim community,” warning that “anything less would be an insult to the Muslim community and a dangerous signal that attacking or disrupting public worship can now be done with impunity, and that Islamophobia is not only tolerated, but condoned and supported by police and government”.

The police response has been vigorously defended by NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley, who laid blame on protest organisers, claiming “innocent people got caught up in something that I know they would not normally participate in.” When questioned about a 16-year-old boy, Nedal, who was allegedly pushed to the ground, kicked, and restrained before being released without charge, Catley suggested the Palestine Action Group should apologise to the teenager and his family. Nadal’s mother, Kefah Maradweh, told the ABC she would seek to press charges: “That was a deliberate attack on my son … who did nothing, just stand up for humanity”.

Twenty-seven people were arrested during Monday’s protest, with nine charged for offences including assaulting police. An 18-year-old was later charged with shining a torch at officers, an incident that saw bail opposed on the grounds of potential injury depending on “how powerful the light was”.

Adding to the political volatility, former Australian of the Year Grace Tame led a chant of “Gadigal to Gaza, globalise the intifada” at Monday’s protest, prompting federal Liberal MP Julian Leeser and NSW opposition leader Kellie Sloane to call for a police investigation. NSW police confirmed they are not investigating Tame, and the contested phrase remains lawful, though a parliamentary inquiry has recommended banning it when used to incite violence.

Prime Minister Albanese described Monday’s violence as “devastating,” telling parliament the scenes were “very confronting” for Australians. He confirmed NSW Police would review footage of the prayer incident.

Diplomatic Contradictions: Condemning Settlements While Welcoming Herzog.

The Herzog visit has exposed increasingly uncomfortable contradictions in Australian foreign policy, with the government simultaneously extending diplomatic courtesies to Israel’s head of state while formally condemning Israeli government policy.

Just hours before Herzog arrived in Canberra, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a rare and strongly worded statement objecting to the Israel Security Cabinet’s weekend decision to expand settlement construction in the West Bank. “Australia objects to the Israel Security Cabinet’s decision to expand Israel’s control over the West Bank,” the spokesperson said. “This decision will undermine stability and security. The Australian Government has been clear that settlements are illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace. Altering the demographic composition of Palestine is unacceptable”.

The statement echoed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ warning that Israel’s actions were “eroding the prospects for the two-state solution” and referenced the International Court of Justice’s finding that Israel’s occupation is illegal.

Yet Herzog himself told Australian media before arriving that the two-state solution was “not workable at the moment,” arguing that Israelis require a “healing process” after the October 7 attacks. “We’re a tiny strip of land, and the people who were attacked on October 7 were the biggest supporters of peace,” Herzog said. “They were the first ones to be butchered, slaughtered, raped, burnt and abducted. You cannot ignore it. It’s a national trauma”.

This diplomatic dissonance was seized upon by independent MP Sophie Scamps, who boycotted Wednesday’s question time entirely, declaring she would not “condone this visit.” In a statement, Scamps said: “An invitation for the Head of State of Israel to visit our Parliament normalises the atrocities that have occurred in Gaza over the past two years”.

Scamps also used parliamentary privilege to challenge the government on sanctions, asking whether Australia would impose targeted measures against Israeli institutions and officials linked to the West Bank settlement expansion. Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles defended the government’s record, noting Australia had already sanctioned National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in 2024, along with seven Israeli settlers and three entities. But he rebuffed calls for further action, insisting the existing sanctions framework was sufficient.

Human rights groups are now demanding that the Australian Federal Police investigate Yaakov Hagoel, chairman of the World Zionist Organisation, who is travelling with Herzog’s delegation. The Australian Centre for International Justice and Palestinian rights groups argue that Hagoel’s promotion of settlement building may breach Australia’s Criminal Code. “If the Australian government is serious about the illegality of settlements and its so-called commitment to peace, then it must not provide diplomatic cover for the enablers of Israel’s illegal settlement enterprise,” said Rawan Arraf, the centre’s executive director.

Security State: Snipers, Salutes, And The Spectre Of Bondi.

Herzog’s visit has been conducted under extraordinary security. His arrival in Sydney was met with approximately 3,000 deployed police, road closures in the CBD, and aerial surveillance. In Canberra, snipers were positioned on the roof of Government House as Herzog was received by Governor-General Sam Mostyn with a 21-gun salute from the Federation Guard, a stark juxtaposition against the chants of protesters audible in the background.

The official rationale for the visit remains the December 2024 Bondi terror attack, in which 15 people were killed in an antisemitic massacre at a Jewish community centre. Herzog laid wreaths at Bondi Beach and met with survivors and bereaved families, stating that Australia and Israel “share the need to fight antisemitism with no doubts … so we uproot this phenomenon”.

Albanese has consistently framed the invitation as an act of solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community. Acting Prime Minister Marles reinforced this message, describing Herzog as “an honoured and welcome guest” whose presence was “very significant for our nation, and particularly for our nation’s Jewish community”.

But critics argue the government is conflating solidarity with impunity. Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, addressing Wednesday’s Canberra rally, claimed her home state of New South Wales risked becoming a “violent police state” and excoriated what she called “disgraceful” police actions. “How on earth can you justify assaulting Muslims doing their prayers, peacefully doing their prayers?” she said. “I have spoken to so many Muslims since Monday, and we are scared. We are scared. We are fearful”.

The chants of “arrest Herzog” that broke out during Faruqi’s speech underscored the depth of community anger, anger that shows no sign of abating as Herzog continues his visit.

Gaza Ceasefire Unravelling: 573 Dead Since October.

The protests and diplomatic manoeuvres unfold against the catastrophic backdrop of Gaza, where the ceasefire agreed in October 2025 is increasingly unravelling.

According to the Gaza Media Office, Israel has committed 1,620 violations of the ceasefire between October 10, 2025 and February 9, 2026, an average of 13 per day. These violations have killed 573 Palestinians and wounded 1,553 others. Crucially, 99 percent of the dead are reported to be civilians, including large numbers of children, women, and the elderly.

The violations include small arms fire, armoured vehicle incursions into residential areas, artillery shelling, airstrikes, and the demolition of buildings. Fifty Palestinians have been detained by Israeli forces, all reportedly arrested from residential neighbourhoods well behind the agreed “yellow line”.

The Gaza authorities also accuse Israel of failing to meet its humanitarian obligations under the ceasefire agreement, including allowing insufficient truck entries, failing to fully open the Rafah crossing, and blocking materials for infrastructure repair, medical supplies, shelter equipment, and heavy machinery.

These figures supplement the broader toll of Israel’s military campaign since October 2023: more than 72,000 Palestinians killed, over 171,000 wounded, and approximately 90 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure destroyed. The UN Human Rights Council special commission of inquiry’s finding that Israel is committing genocide, citing Herzog’s own post-October 7 statements as evidence of genocidal intent, continues to shadow the president’s international engagements.

What Comes Next:

Herzog is scheduled to meet Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and hold further talks with Albanese before departing Australia. The government will be watching closely to see whether Herzog makes good on his commitment to “come back” with substantive responses on the Frankcom investigation and other raised concerns.

For the Frankcom family, the waiting continues. Mal Frankcom remains determined: “We will be determined to pursue justice and accountability. Not only for Zomi, but for the seven victims of the April 1 strike. I’ve spoken to a few of their families as well, and they’re in a similar position, with kind of being in the dark and not having any updates”.

The NSW Police response to the prayer incident investigation remains pending, as does Premier Chris Minns’ decision on whether to issue the apology demanded by Muslim community leaders and the Special Envoy for Islamophobia. With relations between police and Muslim communities at their lowest ebb in years, the political fallout shows no sign of abating.

And in Gaza, the ceasefire violations continue. As Herzog departs Australian shores, the bombs, according to Palestinian authorities, have never truly stopped.