The prime minister is staring down internal pressure to recognise a Palestinian state as Labor figures decry the “unspeakable cruelty” being thrust on civilians in Gaza.
Anthony Albanese has been urged to follow in the footsteps of his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, but on Sunday said he would not “imminently” recognise Palestinian statehood.
Both major parties in Australia support a two-state solution for Palestinians and Israelis, however Mr Albanese said any resolution would need to guarantee Hamas, the de-facto ruling authority in Gaza, played no part in the future nation.
There would also need to be agreements on the rebuilding of Gaza and the West Bank, and a resolution of issues over the expansion of Israeli settlements.
But former Labor frontbencher Ed Husic pointed out that recognition of a Palestinian state had been part of Labor’s national platform since at least 2018.
“We’ve already green-lighted it through our party, we’ve taken it to elections – the circumstances demand it,” the MP told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
“The announcement by the (Israeli) government to partition or reshape the way in which borders exist in Gaza means that we need to send a strong signal that we are opposed to that.”
Former Labor Foreign Minister Bob Carr echoed the call.
There were ways to address the various obstacles to the new nation being established, he said, adding those considerations were outweighed by a “bigger fact and bigger truth”.
“Deaths are coming fast, unspeakable cruelty is being visited against babies and children in the enforcement of something not seen in the modern world – that is, an advanced state using mass starvation as a weapon of war and giving effect to a genocide,” he said.
“We will insist that the Palestinian state that comes into being will be one that opts to be a non-militarised state … that is a serious security guarantee that can be delivered in negotiations, and which the Palestinians have already offered.”
More than 140 out of the 193 members of the United Nations already recognise the state of Palestine, including EU members Spain and Ireland.
The international push to recognise Palestine has been fuelled by the escalating crisis in Gaza, where more than two million people are facing starvation.
Israel cut off aid to Gaza in March before re-opening channels under tight restrictions in May, measures it says are necessary to stop the supplies being diverted to fund Hamas operations.
Its officials say enough food has been let into Gaza during the war and Hamas is responsible for the suffering of civilians.
Israel’s military offensive has already killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza.
The campaign began after Hamas, a designated terrorist organisation in Australia, attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and took 251 hostages.
Opposition frontbencher Dan Tehan said Hamas was responsible for continuing to “politicise and weaponise the use of aid in Gaza”.
Multiple aid organisations, including Amnesty and Medecins Sans Frontieres, have condemned the Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation for the trickle of aid being supplied in recent months.
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