Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has joined with his counterparts in New Zealand and Canada to express their support for “urgent international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire” in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In a statement first released by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this morning, he, Albanese and New Zealand leader Christopher Luxon stressed their condemnation of Hamas but also sounded the alarm on the “diminishing safe space for civilians in Gaza”.
“The price of defeating Hamas cannot be the continuous suffering of all Palestinian civilians,” the leaders said ahead of a United Nations vote on the issue.
”We remain deeply concerned by the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ongoing risks to all Palestinian civilians.
“Safe and unimpeded humanitarian access must be increased and sustained.”
The comments came as global calls for a ceasefire left Israel and its main ally, the United States, increasingly isolated.
The UN secretary-general and Arab states have rallied much of the international community behind calls for an immediate ceasefire.
But the US vetoed those efforts at the UN Security Council last week as it to Israel to allow it to maintain the offensive.
A non-binding vote on a similar resolution at the General Assembly scheduled for this morning would be largely symbolic.
Albanese, Luxon and Trudeau highlighted the 100 hostages and increased humanitarian support that a pause in fighting enabled earlier this month and expressed regret it couldn’t continue.
“We want to see this pause resumed and support urgent international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire,” they said.
“This cannot be one-sided. Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields, and lay down its arms.”
The allies recommitted to working towards a two-state solution, expressed support for Palestinians’ right to self-determination and stressed there could be “no role” for Hamas in governing Gaza moving forward.
“We oppose the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, the re-occupation of Gaza, any reduction in territory, and any use of siege or blockade,” they said.
“We emphasise that Gaza must no longer be used as a platform for terrorism.
“We reaffirm that settlements are illegal under international law. Settlements and settler violence are serious obstacles to a negotiated two-state solution.”
Australia’s opposition foreign affairs spokesman, Simon Birmingham, posted pictures from a visit to Israel overnight, saying it was “confronting but insightful to visit Kibbutz Kfar Aza & Sderot to speak with survivors.”
“It is clear that nobody can live alongside a threat like Hamas,” he said.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said she will visit the country next year.
The war ignited by Hamas’ October 7 attack into southern Israel has already brought unprecedented death and destruction to the impoverished coastal enclave, with much of northern Gaza obliterated, more than 18,000 Palestinians killed, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, and more 80 per cent of the population of 2.3 million pushed from their homes.
(9 NEWS)
