Extract from ABC News
ABC News HomepageThe grieving family of a Palestinian aid worker killed in Israeli drone strikes alongside Zomi Frankcom has praised the Australian woman's dedication and sent condolences to her family.
"All the family loved her," said Ziad Abu Taha, whose 25-year-old cousin Saif Issam Abu Taha was killed in the Israeli strikes.
"She was a lady who left her home and country and came to Palestine to provide relief and humanitarian services."
Ms Frankcom and six colleagues were killed in drone strikes on a World Central Kitchen convoy late on Monday night in Gaza.
Their deaths have sparked an international outcry and claims that Israel has recklessly targeted humanitarian convoys and aid workers, even when their movements and coordinates have been provided to the Israeli military.
"She came here with the hope to serve people and provide aid to them, and lend a hand to them. Zomi did not expect for a second she would be bombed in this barbaric way," Dr Abu Taha said.
He was speaking as the family gathered in Gaza to mourn his cousin.
Dr Abu Taha told 7.30 that Saif's goal "was to volunteer to provide relief to the Palestinian people, and did not want to stay at home, and wanted to serve through an international organisation that was licensed internationally and by Israel as well".
Co-ordinating with Israel of little benefit
Dr Abu Taha says Israel should be held accountable for the killings.
"We call upon international organisations to mark this crime as a war crime against a convoy that was coordinated ... with the Israeli administration and was bombed deliberately with more than one missile," Dr Abu Taha said.
The United Nations agency in Gaza said Israel had previously struck its convoys, even when the agency had been liaising with the Israeli military.
"On three different occasions, on our way in or out of the north of the Gaza Strip, UNRWA convoys have indeed been hit, including on the fifth of February by the Israeli Navy," UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma said.
"And on the two other incidents, the convoys were shot at on the way back after we delivered humanitarian assistance in the north."
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which provides ambulance services in Gaza, said its vehicles had also been struck.
"We have experienced our teams being targeted, despite coordination with the Israelis, through UN agencies or even the Red Cross. That's happened on many occasions since the beginning of the war in Gaza," Red Crescent spokesperson Nebal Farsakh said.
Israel strenuously denies claims that it has targeted humanitarian convoys or ambulances.
"It is frankly obscene to say that Israel does anything of the kind," government spokesman David Mencer said.
"We have worked very, very hard to get more aid into Gaza … 70 food trucks before this war, more than 200 today, an average of about 150. Every single day. So the idea that we are targeting aid convoys is nothing short of nonsense."
'An absolute ray of sunshine'
Ms Frankcom's friends are still coming to terms with her death.
"She was just so full of adventure, full of life, and I still can't believe she's left us," Rebeka Doetsch told 7.30.
The pair met in New York where both were working as globe-trotting expats in the aid and NGO world.
"We had a wonderful friendship that took us from New York through to Bangkok, where I moved and she soon followed after," Ms Doetsch said.
"Zomi was just an absolute ray of sunshine, full of warmth, full of kindness. Very generous, very funny, vibrant, always positive … and she was just a ball of fun to be around."
Ms Doetsch said her friend had been deployed to Syria, Turkey, Morocco, Egypt and finally Gaza. She and the World Central Kitchen team had been trying to enter for some time and finally received permission from Israeli authorities to begin distributing food.
"She shared with us that she was in Gaza at the end of last week … she sent us messages of the PPE collection and a picture of her in front of a welcome to Palestine sign."
Ms Doetsch said Zomi knew the risks of working in a conflict zone.
Several days ago she sent a message joking about the sound of nearby artillery fire.
"She sort of said it in a joking way … but she was aware," Ms Doetsch said.
"She had also shared with other friends that she had this sick feeling in her stomach with the noise going on around her. But it was kind of secondary to the mission of what they were trying to achieve there."
Since the deaths of its workers, World Central Kitchen has suspended its operations in Gaza.
"The humanitarian needs in Gaza are absolutely immense and they increase by the day," UNRWA's Ms Touma said.
"So there is plenty of work for everyone.
"In fact, what needs to happen is to increase the number of organisations that are allowed to work in Gaza."
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