Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has downplayed a rift with the Trump Administration after Australia joined 28 nations in calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and condemning Israel over the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians seeking aid. Source: The Age.
Australia’s strongest criticism yet of Israel’s conduct in the war drew a sharp rebuke from the United States ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who labelled the joint statement “disgusting” and said it was “irrational” to blame Israel for the failure to secure a ceasefire.
As pro-Palestinian protesters were evicted from Parliament House in Canberra yesterday, Senator Wong said the Government was seeking to channel “the real distress that Australians feel about what they’re seeing in Gaza”.
“We, the signatories listed below, come together with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now,” the countries wrote in the United Kingdom-led statement.
“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.
“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 28 countries – which include Canada, Japan, New Zealand, France and Italy – are demanding Israel urgently boost the flow of aid and enable the United Nations 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.
Asked about Mr Huckabee’s criticism of the statement, Senator Wong told Sky News: “President Trump has been a very strong advocate for a ceasefire and hostage deal, and so are we.”
Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, attacked the joint statement, arguing it is “disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas”.
Opposition leader Sussan Ley said the return of hostages still held by Hamas was a priority. “There are still hostages hidden in tunnels, and a way to end the situation is for those hostages to be released by the terrorists, Hamas, who control so much of the activity there,” Ms Ley said.
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Penny Wong: Israel condemnation channels Australians’ ‘distress’ over Gaza (By Matthew Knott, Nick Newling and Angus Thompson, The Age)
