Australia backs Gaza ceasefire amid humanitarian crisis
Australia supported a ceasefire in Gaza and joined calls for the reversal of Israeli laws banning a Palestinian aid agency from operating at the United Nations.
The United Nations building in New York City. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
A humanitarian crisis in Gaza has resulted in Australia supporting a reinvigorated push for a ceasefire and aid to flow at scale.
The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to support a permanent and unconditional ceasefire, the release of hostages, the delivery of humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians.
The motion passed with 158 members voting in support and nine against, with 13 abstaining at an emergency session on Thursday.
The humanitarian crisis was a key factor in Australia’s vote, with more than 44,000 people reported killed in Gaza, including more than 13,000 children.
Nearly all of the strip’s 2.1 million people have lost their homes and don’t have enough food, water or medical supplies.
Australia’s ambassador to the UN, James Larsen, said the demand for full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance to Gaza was urgent as he branded the human suffering unbearable.
“Israel must take urgent action to alleviate this humanitarian crisis,” he said.
But the resolution’s shortcomings included not demanding a conditional ceasefire and failing to unequivocally condemn Hamas, Ambassador Larsen said as he called for the designated terrorist group to lay down arms.
“There can be no role for terrorists in the future governance of Gaza,” he said.
Australia also voted to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in a second motion that passed with 159 in support, nine against and 11 abstaining.
The motion called for the Israeli Knesset to reverse laws banning the agency from operating in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which include Gaza and the West Bank.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has repeatedly stated the agency was the only one with the capability to distribute aid at the scale needed in Gaza.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN said the agency had been infiltrated by Hamas – something it denies – and accused the general assembly of ignoring the hostages taken by the terrorist organisation on October 7.
Mr Larsen expressed grave concern over Israel’s laws, saying while the resolution wasn’t perfect, “limiting UNRWA’s operations will only exacerbate an already terrible humanitarian crisis”.
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson chastised the votes, saying the federal government’s lack of support for Israel translated into anti-Semitism in Australia as people linked the Jewish community to Israel.
“They don’t draw any distinction between Israel and Jews, so when the Australian government abandons or even worse, vilifies Israel, anti-Semites take encouragement from that,” he told Sky News.
It follows a number of anti-Semitism crimes including the firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue – being investigated as a likely terrorist attack – and anti-Israel graffiti sprayed on a building before a car was set on fire in Sydney.
Senator Paterson also attacked UNRWA after a handful of staff members were fired for being involved in Hamas’ terror attack, saying it was “unreformable” and Australia shouldn’t be providing funding.
Australia suspended funding after the allegations and only reinstated it with a probity agreement attached and intelligence agencies determined it wasn’t a terrorist organisation.
Daniel Aghion, president of The Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said: “This is arguably the most immoral resolution passed by the UN General Assembly since the infamous ‘Zionism is racism’ resolution in 1975, that was subsequently rescinded.
By calling for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the General Assembly is effectively demanding that Israel abandon the hostages to their fate, and allow the Hamas terrorists to re-establish themselves as the de facto rulers of Gaza. No country in the world should be expected to betray its own citizens as Israel is being called upon to do.
Although the resolution calls for the ‘immediate and unconditional release of all hostages’, it does not make the release of the hostages interdependent with the ceasefire and does not require Hamas to lay down its arms.
Nor does the resolution condemn Hamas for initiating the war on October 7, 2023 or for its many atrocities.
If this resolution were to be put into effect, it would be a green light to Hamas to regroup, rearm and prepare for the next terrorist attack against Israel.
Seldom has the moral bankruptcy of the UN been on more conspicuous display.
Mere voting numbers do not determine the truth or what is just. It is a mark of shame for Australia that our government decided to support this vote, knowing full well how wrong it is in so many ways, as was evident in the reservations expressed by the Australian representative.”
By: Dominic Giannini/AAP
