Pro-Palestine protesters gather at Parliament House as pollies return
The protesters are holding what appear to be shrouded baby dolls as they wave Palestinian flags and placards calling on the Albanese government to 'sanction Israel now'.
'28 children killed daily in Gaza,' another placard read.
The demonstration is at the back entrance to Parliament House, where Anthony Albanese and his son, Nathan, had walked up just a day earlier.
The Prime Minister will also need to pass them on his way in to open parliament.
Tuesday's protest comes after Australia joined 25 other countries in calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, lashing Israel for 'the drip-feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians'.
Foreign journalists are not allowed into the war-torn Palestinian territory, leaving media to rely on death toll figures put out by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
According to figures from the ministry, more than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 21-month conflict – a count that stacks up with independent monitors and international aid workers, who have said children are suffering the most.
In a joint statement issued overnight, Australia stood with the likes of Canada, New Zealand and the UK demanding that 'the war in Gaza must end now'.
'The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths,' the statement said.
'The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity.
'We condemn the drip-feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.
'It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.'
The countries went on to say Israel's 'denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable'.
'Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law,' the statement said.
The Israeli government, which launched its campaign in Gaza following Hamas' brutal October 7 terrorist attack in 2023, has rejected the statement, calling it 'disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas'.
'All statements and all claims should be directed at the only party responsible for the lack of a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire: Hamas, which started this war and is prolonging it,' the Israeli foreign ministry.
'Instead of agreeing to a ceasefire, Hamas is busy running a campaign to spread lies about Israel.
'At the same time, Hamas is deliberately acting to increase friction and harm to civilians who come to receive humanitarian aid.'
Hamas militants killed more than 1200 people in the October 7 assault and took hundreds more hostage, including children.
It was the single worst mass killing of Jews since the Holocaust.
Many hostages have been released and rescued, while others have died in Hamas' hands.
At least 50 remain in captivity.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar took aim at the countries that issued the statement, saying the fact Hamas embraced their words 'is the best proof' they made a mistake.
'If Hamas embraces you – you are in the wrong place,' he posted on social media.
'Hamas's praise for the statement by the group of countries is the best proof of the mistake they made – part of them out of good intentions and part of them out of an obsession against Israel.
'We are at a very sensitive moment in the negotiations for the release of hostages and a ceasefire.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AU Financial Review
44 minutes ago
- AU Financial Review
PM lifts US beef ban, paves way for Trump tariff talks
The Albanese government has lifted the biosecurity restrictions on US beef, paving the way for the full resumption of exports to Australia, and removing the key excuse given by the Trump administration for imposing steep tariffs on its supposed friend and ally. A government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, insisted the move, which was communicated to the US government overnight Wednesday (AEST), was based on scientific advice following a review of the restrictions initiated more than 18 months ago, before Donald Trump was elected president for a second term.
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
'Bunch of drunken sailors': Sky News host Steve Price scorns Labor's 'crazy' spending as NDIS budget exceeds defence by a billion
Sky News host Steve Price has hit out at Labor's 'crazy' spending as the NDIS budget overshadows defence while more than half the nation relies on some form of government subsidy. Price said the Albanese government was rightly happy to have won the federal election, but now needed to get the country 'back on track'. A report by the Centre for Independent Studies which found more than half of Australian voters rely on government for most of their income - through wages, benefits or subsidies - was proof of the major challenges ahead, he claimed. 'We have become a nation of leaners, not leaders, and I hate to say that,' Price said. 'We have continued to swamp the country with unprecedented numbers of migrants. We have workers relying on governments for their pay packets. That grows alarmingly.' CIS economist Robert Carling warned such widespread dependence has fuelled unsustainable government spending and eroded economic resilience. In a new paper published on Wednesday, Leviathan on the Rampage, Mr Carling warned federal spending alone has reached 27.6 per cent of GDP. This was up from between 24 and 25 per cent of GDP in 2012-13 and has been fuelled by a 'program expansion in social services, defence and debt interest'. 'How can that be sustainable?' Price said. 'According to that report, spending is driven largely by a small group of programmes including - surprise surprise - the NDIS, Aged Care, Medicare and Defence. The NDIS is actually costing taxpayers more than what we spend on defence. How crazy is that? This year alone, $52 billion on the NDIS. 'Simply not sustainable.' Australia's current defence budget is $51 billion. Price said the Labor government was 'spending like a bunch of drunken sailors'. According to the federal budget 2025-26, the NDIS recorded the second highest annual growth in major payments, behind only interest. It has been projected to cost more than $64 billion by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, the federal budget has been projected to endure a decade of deficits and surge past $1 trillion of debt. The findings come just days after leaked Treasury advice revealed the Albanese government has been told to pursue 'spending reductions'. Treasury said Treasurer Jim Chalmers would need to find 'additional revenue and spending reductions' to ensure a 'sustainable budget'.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
PM will honour a big election promise as he moves to tackle cost of living
Anthony Albanese will move to freeze beer taxes on Thursday honouring his election pitch to tackle the cost of living. The Prime Minister confirmed during the election that 'we will freeze the indexation on draught beer excise for two years' in what he described as a win for beer drinkers and hospitality businesses. With schooners and pints tracking closer to $15 and $20 in major cities, publicans have expressed fears the steep prices are driving customers away. It follows warnings that a half of the cost of a $59.99 slab of Coopers Pale Ale was going to the taxman. On Thursday, the Albanese Labor Government will table tariff proposals to stop the excise and customs duty on beer from increasing from 1 August. The Albanese government has confirmed it will amend the legislation to temporarily pause the indexation on excise and customs duty. The pause on indexation for excise and customs duty will be in place for two years from 1 August 2025. The Albanese Government said that the excise and customs tariff proposals tabled in Parliament will be ratified by primary legislation to be introduced in coming months. However, the tariff proposal on Thursday will stop the price of beer increasing due to indexation until that freeze is legislated. 'Continuing to deliver cost of living relief to Australians is our number one priority,'' Mr Albanese told 'Freezing the excise on draught beer is a common sense measure that is good for beer drinkers, good for brewers and good for pubs.' Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the government remained focused on easing the cost of living for Australians. 'This will help take a bit of pressure off beer drinkers, brewers and bars,'' he said. 'Whether it's a tax cut for every taxpayer, help with energy bills, or the new relief that's rolling out this month like higher wages for award workers, we're doing everything we responsibly can to help with the cost of living.' understands the cost to the budget in tax revenue foregone will be $95 million over four years. But it's not all beer. It needs to be coming off tap in a licensed hospitality venue, so only schooners and pints of beer from your local watering hole will be blessed with a tax freeze. Those who prefer buying their beer, or any other alcohol, from the bottle-O can expect prices to keep rising. Last year Anthony Albanese said cutting beer taxes wasn't a priority for his government. 'We are not looking at that at the moment, but obviously in the lead-up to budgets, you have submissions and I'm sure that there'll be submissions along a whole range of ways,' he told 3AW. 'One of the things that we have to do though, is look at ways where we provide cost of living support, while putting downward pressure on inflation.' Health Minister Mark Butler was singing the same tune back then, insisting that the government's focus was on 'cheaper medicines, not beer'. Nationals leader's lonely call for action David Littleproud faced a backlash last year from senior Liberals after floating the prospect of a beer tax relief because the price was 'hitting a tipping point.' 'I'm part of the shadow expenditure review committee and our final taxation policy has not been determined,' he said. 'That will be determined by the National Party and the Liberal Party. That's why we'll be running the ruler over this. 'When we determine the taxation policy we'll take to the next election, it'll be a Coalition policy.' But the big idea was slammed down by the opposition treasury spokesman Angus Taylor. 'The starting point to reducing the pressure of indexation is to get inflation down,' Mr Taylor said. Opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume also wasn't a big fan. 'I always like the idea of free beer. But, unfortunately, that might not be the policy slogan that you'll be seeing us going into the election with,' she said. Ahead of the announcement, the Australian Hotels Association CEO Stephen Ferguson noted that beer and spirits tax quietly goes up twice a year every year and complained that the Government's only response is to refer pubs to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. 'Australia's beer tax is already the third highest in the OECD. There's also $38 tax on a $60 bottle of whisky or gin. That is outrageous and the voters are awake to it,'' Mr Ferguson said.
