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Key Points
- The prime minister says it was a breach of international law to “stop food being delivered” which he said was an Israeli decision.
- Albanese said a decision would be made at an “appropriate time” on recognising a Palestinian state.
- Israel has allowed some aid to flow into Gaza as an estimated 2 million people face mass hunger.
In one of his strongest statements yet on the issue, Albanese said scenes of starvation in Gaza “break your heart”, singling out a picture of an emaciated one year old boy, Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, that was widely published around the world last week.
Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, a 1.5-year-old child in Gaza, faces life-threatening malnutrition as the humanitarian situation worsens due to ongoing Israeli attacks and blockade. Source: Getty / Anadolu / Getty Images
He said civilian casualties and death in Gaza was “completely unacceptable” and “completely indefensible”.
“I’m a supporter of Israel and Israel’s right to defend itself, but that boy isn’t challenging Israel’s right to existence, and nor are the many who continue to suffer from the unavailability of food and water.”
“Israel as a democratic state has a responsibility to ensure that innocent lives are not lost, and we have seen too many Israeli and Palestinian lives lost.”
Australia won’t yet recognise a Palestinian state
He flagged that the United States would have a “critical role” to play as it has been an intermediary during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Air drops of aid to resume
Israel said it resumed aid airdrops to Gaza on Saturday and was taking several other steps to ease the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave, amid mounting international pressure and warnings from relief agencies of starvation spreading there.
