I continue to be contacted by many people in my community who are deeply distressed by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. I share their horror. Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe. Israel’s denial of aid, the killing of civilians, including children, as they seek access to water and food, is indefensible. The Australian government has called on Israel to comply immediately with its obligations under international law. This includes ensuring that the United Nations and NGOs can carry out their life-saving work safely and without obstruction.
As the Prime Minister said: … it is a breach of international law to stop food being delivered, which was a decision that Israel made in March …
It is also a breach of basic humanity.
I hear and I stand with members of my community. We are all devastated as this war continues to take innocent lives. The situation in Gaza has gone beyond even the world’s worst fears, and the position of the Australian government is very clear: we must continue to contribute to the global efforts to break the cycle of violence, because every innocent life matters.
This war must end and we must have peace.
