Heartbreaking final video of smiling World Central Kitchen aid worker Zomi days before she was killed by IDF air strike in Gaza

The last ever video shared by an Australian aid worker killed in Gaza has broken the hearts of viewers around the world.

The short video shows Melbourne-born Lalzawmi ‘Zomi’ Frankcom, 43, smiling as she gave a rundown of the menu World Central Kitchen were preparing for Palestinian people in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, on March 26.

Ms Frankcom and six other WCK team members were on their way back from dropping off 100 tonnes of food and other aid supplies in northern Gaza on Monday, local time, when they were hit by an Israeli airstrike.

The other six WCK victims were 35-year-old Polish man Damian Sobol, 25-year-old Palestinian driver Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 33-year-old dual US-Canadian citizen Jacob Flickinger and British nationals John Chapman, 57, James ‘Jim’ Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47.

In last week’s video, Ms Frankcom introduced herself and WCK chef Oli.

Ms Frankcom was one of seven World Central Kitchen volunteers killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes on Monday (pictured, the wreckage of one of the three cars)

‘This is the beautiful, fragrant, aromatic rice that will be served,’ she said, showing the food being prepared for Gaza citizens.

Following the horror attack, WCK said Ms Frankcom’s ‘team was travelling in a deconfliction zone in two armoured cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle’.

‘Despite coordinating movements with the [Israeli army], the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse,’ WCK said.

It was later revealed the seven volunteers were travelling in three clearly-marked aid vehicles.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had spotted the three cars as part of a larger convoy as they entered the main distribution hub in Deir al-Balah to collect the aid.

A member of the IDF unit identified an armed man inside one of the convoy’s trucks as a potential threat however, neither the truck or the armed man left with the three WCK cars.

A Hermes 450 drone was sent by the IDF unit to follow the three vehicles – two of which had armour plating while a third was a ‘soft-skinned’ 4×4.

All three cars had WCK logos on their roofs and doors.

Operators ordered an R9X Hellfire missile to be fired at one of the cars shortly before midnight. Its passengers were seen running to the two remaining cars.

They informed authorities monitoring their movements they had been hit and made their getaway. 

However, the Hermes 450 fired a second missile at another of the cars just 900m down the road.

Once again, the survivors scrambled to load the wounded into the last remaining car.

They only made it 1.5km down the road before the third missile hit – killing the last of the seven volunteers. 

WCK shared photos of the seven volunteers killed (pictured) and said: ‘We are reeling from our loss. The world’s loss’

It’s understood an IDF unit targeted the three cars (one pictured) as they were earlier part of a larger convoy travelling with an armed man

Distressing footage shared online showed the bodies of five of the victims at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

Hospital staff held up bloodied and torn passports belonging to three of the dead which were British, Polish and Australian. 

WCK shared photos of all seven victims on Wednesday morning, AEST, with CEO Erin Gore writing: ‘These seven beautiful souls were killed by the IDF in a strike as they were returning from a full day’s mission. 

‘Their smiles, laughter, and voices are forever embedded in our memories. We have countless memories of them giving their best selves to the world. 

‘We are reeling from our loss. The world’s loss.’

The deaths of the innocent aid workers sparked outrage across the globe, leading Israel’s highest-ranking officer to share an apology for the ‘grave mistake’.

In a video, IDF chief Herzi Halevi said ‘Israel is at a war with Hamas, not the people of Gaza’.

‘I want to be very clear – the strike was not carried out with the intention of harming WCK aid workers. It was a mistake that followed a misidentification – at night during a war in very complex conditions. It shouldn’t have happened,’ he said.

‘We will continue taking immediate actions to ensure that more is done to protect humanitarian aid workers,’ he said, adding that IDF was ‘sorry for the unintentional harm to the members of WCK.’  

He added the IDF ‘shared in the grief’ of the victims’ loved ones, saying: ‘We see great importance in the continued delivery of humanitarian aid, and we will keep working to facilitate this vital effort.’

Ms Frankcom and her team had unloaded ‘ 100 tons of humanitarian food aid’ before they were killed (pictured, the last photo Ms Frankcom sent her family just moments before entering Gaza)

All seven volunteers were killed in three missile strikes on Monday (pictured, people carrying one of the volunteers’ bodies)

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday demanded Israel take ‘full accountability’ for the deaths (pictured, inside one of the attacked WCK cars)

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined the hoards of international leaders calling for justice following the attacks and on Tuesday demanded Israel take ‘full accountability’ for the deaths.

‘That is completely unacceptable, and Australia will see full and proper accountability as you would expect for how this could have occurred,’ he said.

Ms Frankcom’s family on Tuesday afternoon said they are ‘deeply mourning the news that our brave and beloved Zomi has been killed doing the work she loves delivering food to the people of Gaza’.

‘She was a kind, selfless and outstanding human being that has travelled the world helping others in their time of need,’ they said.

‘She will leave behind a legacy of compassion, bravery and love for all those in her orbit.

‘We are still reeling from the shock and we humbly request privacy during this difficult time.’

Ms Frankcom’s friends also shared tributes to her on social media, describing her as a ‘beautiful person’.

‘There are no words I can use to tell you what a beautiful person she was. I’m so blessed to have called her a dear friend,’ one wrote.

‘Rest in peace our beautiful sister,’ another said.

WCK has delivered more than 1,700 trucks full of food and cooking equipment through the Rafah Crossing at the border between Cairo, Egypt and Palestine. 

Australian Council for International Development chief executive, Marc Purcell, said it was ‘truly tragic that an Australian aid worker, working to provide food to starving civilians, has been killed in this fashion’.

Israel’s highest-ranking officer chief Herzi Halevi (pictured) shared an apology for the ‘grave mistake’ of targeting the aid workers

Photos of three bloodied passports (pictured) were shared online shortly after the attack

At least 196 aid workers have killed to date in this latest Israel-Hamas conflict (pictured, one of the WCK cars)

‘She died doing truly heroic work,’ he said.

‘The laws of war protecting humanitarian workers and civilians are being flagrantly disregarded by the Israeli Government and Defence Forces,’ Mr Purcell said.

At least 196 aid workers have killed to date in this latest Israel-Hamas conflict. 

Aid was being blocked form entering northern Gaza, putting hundreds of thousands of people at risk of starving to death, and humanitarian agencies in the south were under ‘enormous strain’ from air strikes’, Mr Purcell said.

‘We call on the Australian Government to urge the Israeli Government to cease attacks on aid convoys and to allow for the safe land passage of humanitarian assistance.’