Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I think the senator declined to read what I also said—and I know he pays close attention to what I say. I went on to say this cannot be one-sided, and I pointed out that Hamas is still attacking Israel and is still holding hostages.

What I would say to you is that we have affirmed Israel's right to defend itself. We have consistently said that the way it does so matters. We have said that humanitarian pauses are a necessary first step, but we have stated that much more is needed, and that includes the release of hostages unconditionally. That includes making sure that international law is upheld. So what I would say to the senator is: please do look at the totality of that interview, because I did seek to, in what is a very difficult set of circumstances, set out a clear set of principles about how we are approaching this.

I have engaged closely with colleagues and counterparts. And you might recall, Senator, I did return from China via Tokyo, where the G7 was meeting, to ensure we continue to engage with our partners and like-minded nations.