Israel’s blockade of aid into Gaza is “an outrage”, Anthony Albanese has said, calling the Israeli government’s “excuses” for stopping critical food and medical supplies “completely untenable”.
Prime minister Albanese says he last week told Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, of Australia’s deep concern over the blocking of aid into the Palestinian territory. The United Nations says the entire population of Gaza is facing famine and that Israel’s 80-day blockade of supplies may constitute “the cruelest phase of this cruel conflict”.
In a press conference on Monday morning, Albanese said: “Israel’s actions are completely unacceptable.”
“It is outrageous that there be a blockade of food and supplies to people who are in need in Gaza … People are starving. The idea that a democratic state withholds supply is an outrage.”
Australia last week joined 22 other nations in condemning Israel over its decision to allow only limited aid into Gaza, adding voice to a joint statement – also signed by the UK, Canada and New Zealand.
Foreign minister Penny Wong also condemned “abhorrent and outrageous” comments made by Netanyahu government members in recent days and said the Israeli government “cannot allow the suffering” in Gaza to continue.
Asked about Gaza on Monday, Albanese made some of his strongest comments yet. He noted Australia’s signing of the joint statement, and that he had stressed those concerns in a meeting with Herzog in Rome last week.
“I made it very clear that Australia finds these actions as completely unacceptable and we find Israel’s excuses and explanations completely untenable and without credibility,” Albanese said.
“That is [a position] I have indicated clearly and directly to the Israeli government. It’s one that we will continue to be part of international statements as we were last week.”
Albanese again stressed Hamas could have no future role in governing Gaza or the West Bank, and called for the release of remaining Israeli hostages captured during the 7 October terrorist attack, but said Israel should change course.
“States which are democratic states have a responsibility to behave in a way that is consistent with international law and with humanitarian concerns,” he said.
“The whole world is concerned about what has occurred with the blockade and Australia will continue to make clear statements on that.”
Albanese’s comments come days after former Labor minister Ed Husic said Australia “can and should be doing more” in an article for Guardian Australia.
Husic said the government should call in the Israeli ambassador to demand “immediate freer, rapid flow of humanitarian aid”, as well as rapidly increase contributions to international aid efforts.
“Australia has a proud tradition of refusing to be silent on the world stage when it comes to defending vulnerable and oppressed people. We can be emboldened by our legacy of doing so. Two million starving people in Gaza need all the help we can muster alongside others,” he wrote.
Greens senator David Shoebridge on Monday urged the government to go further, repeating his call for the Albanese government to end defence’s multimillion dollar contracts with two Israeli arms companies and their subsidiaries.
Israel has intensified military strikes on besieged Gaza, despite aid agencies warning that the Palestinian population is plunging deeper into malnutrition and famine. For nearly three months Israel blocked food, fuel, medicine and all other supplies from entering Gaza, worsening a humanitarian crisis for 2.3 million Palestinians.
Under international pressure, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed that the entire Gaza Strip will be under Israeli security control by the end of the war, said last week he would ease the 11-week siege of Gaza to prevent a “starvation crisis”. Aid agencies and many governments say that crisis already exists. Israel accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid. The UN and aid groups deny there has been significant diversion.
A total of 107 aid trucks belonging to the UN and other aid groups carrying flour, food, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals were transferred on Thursday into Gaza, the Israeli military said. But the UN secretary general, António Guterres, said on Friday that Israel had only authorised for Gaza what “amounts to a teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required” to ease the crisis.
