Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The situation in Israel and Gaza since 7 October is a tragedy on a truly shocking scale. Over 1,200 Israelis have been killed in the most appalling circumstances, including children, and 28,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including a staggering number of children.

While the conflict is far from our shores and our impact is small, the least Australia can do is to act morally and in accordance with international law, and this must include respect for both the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, because there's no doubt Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza and will unleash even more horrors in Rafah. No wonder the ICJ has ruled it plausible that Israel is committing genocide, which surely places an obligation on Israel and the international community to prevent further abuses and to ensure the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance.

All of this makes the Australian government's decision to pause humanitarian funding to UNRWA a shameful subversion of the ICJ and, to be frank, makes Australia complicit in the collective punishment of Palestinians. Consequently, I again call on the government to restore this funding, properly assist evacuees to Australia and contribute towards a lasting peace through support for a permanent ceasefire and a two-state solution.