Australia has no plans to imminently recognise a Palestinian state, Anthony Albanese says, cautioning further steps must be met for a two-state solution despite growing pressure inside the Labor party for the government to follow through on its long-held commitment.
The prime minister has also accused Israel of a breach of international law in blocking aid into Gaza, saying “you can’t hold innocent people responsible” for the actions of Hamas, and warning that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is “losing support” internationally.
“Quite clearly it is a breach of international law to stop food being delivered which was a decision that Israel made in March,” Albanese told the ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday.
“Israel as a democratic state has a responsibility to ensure that innocent lives are not lost, and what we have seen is too many Israeli and Palestinians lives lost, and every life matters.”
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Israel on Sunday, Australian time, said it would start airdrops with humanitarian aid in Gaza, Reuters reported, as well as establishing humanitarian corridors for UN convoys, though it did not say when or where. At least 57 people were killed in Gaza over the past 24 hours, many killed while seeking aid, as well as by Israeli airstrikes, amid a worsening starvation crisis.
Albanese said the airdrops would be “a start”. Referencing widely published photos of an emaciated infant boy suffering from starvation in Gaza, as well as other starving children, the prime minister said innocent people must be protected.
“A one-year-old boy is not a Hamas fighter. The civilian casualties and death in Gaza is completely unacceptable. It’s completely indefensible,” he said.
“My government has been very consistent in calling for a ceasefire. We have been consistent in calling out the terrorists in Hamas and saying that the hostages should be released. But we have rules of engagement and they are there for a reason. They are to stop innocent lives being lost and that is what we have seen.”
Albanese said it was “quite clearly” a breach of international law to block aid deliveries. Asked by Insiders host David Speers to clarify whether he was specifically accusing Israel of breaching international law, Albanese responded “I’m not a lawyer, those things will play out their course”.
“But I tell you what it’s a breach of: it’s a breach of decent humanity and of morality and everyone can see that,” he said.
“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. The fact that people have lost their lives queueing to get food and water distributed not by the UN, but distributed by the joint Israeli-American operation, is a tragedy.”
The Israeli embassy in Canberra was contacted for comment.
Albanese said the concerns he’d relayed to Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, reflected that “sometimes friends have to say to their other friends when they are losing support”.
The prime minister issued his own statement condemning Israel for “the killing of civilians, including children” seeking aid, but stopped short of saying Australia would recognise a Palestinian state, as French president, Emmanuel Macron, had committed.
On Sky News on Sunday, the shadow foreign affairs minister, Michaelia Cash, repeated previous claims that the Australian government should have more strongly condemned Hamas.
“The next sentence should have been, ‘and we call on the terrorists Hamas, who commenced this war, and who are ensuring the suffering of the civilians in Gaza, to end this war tomorrow’,” she said.
Albanese’s statement on Friday said: “Australia condemns the terror and brutality of Hamas and we reiterate our call for the immediate release of the remaining hostages.”
Former foreign minister Bob Carr, Labor MP Ed Husic and the Labor Friends of Palestine campaign group on Friday reiterated their calls for the government to move now in recognising a Palestinian state – a reform that has long been Labor policy.
But Albanese said such a move was not imminent. He raised concerns about ensuring Hamas was blocked from any involvement in a Palestinian state, how it would operate in a way that did not threaten Israel’s existence, and how the Palestinian Authority would be involved.
Albanese also said it was “critical” the United States play a role, including in security arrangements about settlements in the West Bank and the rebuilding of Gaza.
“We won’t do any decision as a gesture. We will do it as a way forward if the circumstances are met,” he said.
“We’ll make a decision based upon the time. Is the time right now? Are we about to imminently do that? No, we are not.”
