Foreign minister’s call comes as six former prime ministers issue joint statement expressing solidarity with Jewish and Palestinian communities
The Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, says it is ‘critical that Israel listens’ when friends urge it to ‘protect civilian life’, amid the ongoing bombardment of Gaza.The Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, says it is ‘critical that Israel listens’ when friends urge it to ‘protect civilian life’, amid the ongoing bombardment of Gaza.
“We have seen civilians up on both sides in a lot of pain, and obviously, we still have Israeli hostages who have been taken, that Hamas is still holding,” Wong said.Wong said the UN general assembly vote on Friday – in which 120 countries including France and New Zealand voted for an immediate humanitarian truce – indicated “that the international community will not accept continuing civilian deaths”.
All of Australia’s living former prime ministers except Paul Keating jointly published a statement on Monday condemning “the cruel and murderous attack on Israeli families by Hamas on October 7” and calling for the unconditional release of the hostages. The former leaders said the conflict must not be allowed to “turn Australians against each other” and there was “no more tenaciously evil race hatred than antisemitism”.
The Herald Sun reported on Sunday that the joint letter had been discussed with the Zionist Federation of Australia and all seven living former prime ministers had been “in discussion” about signing it.
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