Australia and allies condemn Israel over ‘inhumane' Gaza aid deaths
Signed by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her counterparts from the UK, France, and Canada, the joint statement published late Monday accused Israel of an 'unacceptable' denial of humanitarian aid and warned they were prepared to take action to help bring about a ceasefire.
'The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity,' the statement said.
'We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic need of water and food. It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.'
The 25 countries are demanding Israel urgently boost the flow of aid and enable the UN and charities 'to do their life-saving work safely and effectively' after 85 Palestinians were killed trying to access food in various locations, according to the territory's health ministry.
After the breakdown of the initial January ceasefire, Israel imposed a humanitarian blockade on the strip in March before overhauling the delivery of aid.
The international community has criticised the replacement of established NGOs with the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. According to the UN Human Rights Council figures published last week, almost 900 people were killed in Gaza while trying to get food; '674 of them were killed in the vicinity of GHF sites.'
Earlier on Monday Israeli tanks pushed into southern and eastern districts of the Gazan city of Deir al-Balah, an area of Gaza which had been largely untouched by the conflict and where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians had sought refuge. The incursion has led to speculation that Hamas is holding large numbers of hostages there.
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an hour ago
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Earlier this month, Israel's military acknowledged Palestinians were harmed at aid distribution centres, saying new instructions had been issued following what it called "lessons learned". Albanese called on Israel to "comply immediately with its obligations under international law". "This includes allowing the United Nations and NGOs to carry out their lifesaving work safely and without hindrance," he said. "Any proposals for the permanent forced displacement of the Palestinian population must be abandoned." In their joint statement, the humanitarian and aid organisations also criticised the GHF and said that "tons" of aid were in warehouses just outside Gaza, but Israel's government was restricting its entry. The Israeli government has rejected such claims and accused the UN and its partners of not collecting the large quantities of food and other essentials that were cleared and waiting on the Gaza side of the border. It says aid is flowing into Gaza. PM reaffirms commitment to two-state solution Albanese's statement on Friday did not reference Macron's announcement that France will recognise Palestinian statehood. However, it reaffirmed the government's position for an Israel-Palestinian two-state solution. "Recognising the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their own has long been a bipartisan position in Australia," he said. "The reason a two-state solution remains the goal of the international community is because a just and lasting peace depends upon it," Albanese said. "Australia is committed to a future where both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples can live in peace and safety, within secure and internationally recognised borders." 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Albanese 'fails to place any blame on Hamas' Opposition foreign affairs spokesperson Michaelia Cash said while the Coalition has "strong concerns" about the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, it was "disappointing" that Albanese's statement "once again fails to place any blame on Hamas, a listed terrorist organisation, for the delays in aid reaching the people of Gaza". "The Coalition acknowledges that the delay in aid entering Gaza is unacceptable and that the Israeli government needs to urgently work with international bodies to allow aid to flow freely to those that need it," Cash said. "However, the right system must be in place so that it can be distributed without Hamas intervening in the process." In her statement, Cash did not detail how Hamas was delaying aid reaching Gaza nor how it was intervening. Overnight, Israel and the United States recalled their delegations from the latest ceasefire talks for consultations, with US envoy Steve Witkoff accusing Hamas of failing to act in good faith. Hamas said it was surprised by Witkoff's remarks, adding the group's position had been welcomed by mediators and had opened the door to reaching a comprehensive agreement.
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an hour ago
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Israel, US decry French move to recognise Palestine
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