Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong has joined a five-country push to “strongly reject” Israel's plan for new military actions in the Palestinian territory of Gaza and call for a immediate and permanent ceasefire.
Alongside ministers from Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, Penny Wong lent her voice to a statement condemning the Israeli Security Cabinet’s decision.
“It will aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of the hostages, and further risk the mass displacement of civilians,” the statement released on Saturday morning reads.
“The plans that the Government of Israel has announced risk violating international humanitarian law. Any attempts at annexation or of settlement extension violate international law.”
The five-countries’ Foreign Ministers called for parties involved in the conflict, and the international community, to bring the “terrible conflict” to an end and provide “massive, immediate and unimpeded” humanitarian assistance.
“... the worst-case scenario of a famine is unfolding in Gaza,” the statement continues.
“A political resolution based on a negotiated two-state solution requires the total demilitarisation of Hamas and its complete exclusion from any form of governance in the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian Authority must have a central role.”
The move follows the Israeli Security Cabinet approving a plan this week to take control of Gaza City through renewed military action.
“The Security Cabinet has approved the Prime Minister’s proposal for the defeat of Hamas,” the Prime Minister’s Office said Friday.
“The IDF will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones.”
‘More unbearable suffering’
The statement from the foreign ministers echoes comments from UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk, who called for the Israeli Government’s plan for a complete military takeover of the occupied Gaza strip to be “immediately halted”.
“It runs contrary to the ruling of the International Court of Justice that Israel must bring its occupation to an end as soon as possible, to the realisation of the agreed two-State solution and to the right of Palestinians to self-determination,” he said.
“On all evidence to date, this further escalation will result in more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes.
“The war in Gaza must end now. And Israelis and Palestinians must be allowed to live side by side in peace.”
In his first public comments since the plan was approved, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied there would be an occupation of Gaza.
“We are not going to occupy Gaza - we are going to free Gaza from Hamas,” he posted on X.
“Gaza will be demilitarized, and a peaceful civilian administration will be established, one that is not the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas, and not any other terrorist organization.
“This will help free our hostages and ensure Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel in the future.”
Approximately 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, to which Israel responded with a large-scale ground offensive in Gaza.
